Illegal mining bleeds billions from economy, says Mantashe

Minerals and Petroleum Resources Minister Gwede Mantashe. Picture: Gallo Images Minister of Mineral and Petroleum Resources, Gwede Mantashe, said illegal mining continues to be one of the most pressing challenges in South Africa’s mining sector, resulting in billions in lost revenue. Mantashe was speaking at the South African Human Rights Commission (SAHRC) National Inquiry into Policy Framework around Artisanal Mining.

His remarks come ahead of the Mining Indaba in Cape Town from 9 to 12 February 2026. The Mining Indaba is Africa’s biggest mining conference, centred around mining investment, policy, sustainability and economic growth on the continent. The inquiry – now in its second leg – is investigating the policy framework around artisanal mining, the impact of artisanal mining on surrounding communities and the scope and tactics employed in law enforcement’s Operation Vala Umgodi.

“The dawn of democracy in 1994 marked a decisive break with this past. It ushered in a constitutional order grounded in human dignity, equality, and freedom, and it gave us the opportunity – and the responsibility – to correct historical injustices,” said Mantashe. Illegal mining is a criminal activity conducted in direct contravention of South African law.

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It is part of broader organised crimes and is often linked to serious offences, including illicit financial flows, extreme violence, human trafficking, gender-based violence and femicide, as well as the smuggling of weapons and explosives. Mantashe said illegal mining cost the South African economy and the sector R49 billion in 2019. He highlighted that there is a “disturbing trend” emerging from illegal mining incidents with the involvement of undocumented foreign nationals.

“In the Stilfontein incident, 1 826 illegal miners surfaced from underground. The majority of those involved were undocumented foreign nationals from Mozambique, Zimbabwe and Lesotho,” said Mantashe.

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