Case Against Orkney Suspected Illegal Miners Set For Pre-Trial
The Stilfontein Regional Court postponed the case against the eighty-seven(87) suspected illegal miners, arrested at shaft 2 in Orkney to 06 July 2022, for pre-trial conferencing. The state and the defence attorney are expected to exchange all the necessary documents and other pending matters in preparation for trial, and subsequently, a trial date will be decided upon.
All the accused are in police custody, after they abandoned bail, owing to their illegal status in South Africa. They are charged with six(6) counts of murder, robbery with aggravating circumstances, conspiracy to commit robbery, illegal mining, possession of automatic firearms, attempted murder and contravening the immigration act.
Police reports indicate that eight (8) of the accused, were wounded and six (6) fatally wounded during a shootout with members of the Special Task Force, assisted by Hawks Organised Crime in the North West, during an intelligence-driven operation on Wednesday 20 October 2021.
The eight (8) injured have since been discharged from the hospital, and are now in police custody. Following the shootout, Police discovered, two mini-busses, illegal mining paraphernalia, gold-bearing material, and eleven Illegal firearms (3 x shotguns, 3 x rifles, 4 x pistols and 1 x revolver) and bags of food.
The suspects will remain in police custody until the matter is finalised.
Enquiries:
Henry Mamothame
NPA Regional Spokesperson
North West Division
082 317 5731