SWAZIS ARRESTED FOR OVER E2BN GOLD THEFT

MBABANE – At least two Swazi mineworkers have been arrested for allegedly stealing gold ore estimated to be over E2 billion in South Africa.

The Swazis were arrested as part of what that country’s press has described as the biggest mass arrest of miners for gold theft. A total of 20 people have been arrested so far after months of surveillance by the South African police and the internal security of Sibanye Gold Ltd.

The said gold ore was allegedly stolen from the Libanon shaft at Sibanye Gold Ltd mine in Carletonville, Johannesburg, South Africa over the years but the arrests were effected in June this year.
An impeccable source at Sibanye Gold Ltd mine informed this publication that two Swazis were part of the syndicate that has been allegedly stealing from the gold mine.

“There are two Swazis who were arrested together with the others for stealing the gold bearing material. They were arrested in June at the Libanon shaft which is on the West Rand after being found in possession of the gold-bearing material worth millions of Rands,” the source said.

The source said the two miners together with the 18 others allegedly sold the gold ore to illegal processors who then extracted the gold and sold it.
Paul Ramaloko, a spokesman for South Africa’s anti-corruption police unit known as the Hawks, said the arrest of the 20 mineworkers was the biggest mass arrest of mineworkers for gold theft in post-apartheid South Africa.

James Wellsted of the Sibanye Gold Limited could neither confirm nor give the names of the two Swazis allegedly arrested for stealing the gold ore.
However, Wellsted referred this reporter to the Head of Security, Nash Luchman. “I don’t have the exact details of the nationalities who were arrested but you can contact the head of security Nash Luchman,” he said.

 Luchman could not be reached until late last night. The arrested duo is currently languishing in South Africa as their travel documents were surrendered to the South African Police Service as part of their bail conditions.

The Swazis, together with the other 18 mineworkers have been charged with theft and dealing in gold-bearing material.
A South African publication, Timeslive, quoted Captain Paul Ramaloko as having said the arrested miners, aged between 25 and 54, were said to have all worked as plant operators at Sibanye’s plant shaft in Carletonville, west of Johannesburg.

 “They worked at Driefontein metallurgical plant, which helps to process gold ore, and were arrested after a six-month investigation involving Sibanye’s internal security team. Some of the proceeds from sales of the illicit bullion were funnelled into ‘luxurious lifestyles’ at the men’s countryside homes.
“The Hawks’ investigation into this syndicate has been continuing for the past few months, after an arrest in December 2013 of two former Sibanye mineworkers.” According to a report on Timeslive, the syndicate is believed to be responsible for the theft of over R2 billion worth of gold in the past year. The miners were allegedly smuggling the gold out in custom-designed pouches inside their overalls.

It is said the South African Asset Forfeiture Unit will now step in to seize assets allegedly acquired through the gold smuggling activities.
The publication further quoted Thabisile Phumo, a spokeswoman of Sibanye, the largest producer of gold in the South Africa last year as having said: “We commend our internal investigations team and the South African police for the breakthrough in the case.

“We are aware of the activities of organised crime syndicates and remain vigilant against any illegal activities around our operations.”
Phumo declined to comment on the value of the gold allegedly stolen when asked by a number of South African publications. South Africa’s apartheid system of racial segregation ended in 1994 with the country’s first democratic elections.

Meanwhile when the investigations into the theft of the gold ore were launched in December 2013, Dumisani Gumede and Armando Zitha were allegedly found in possession of thousands of rands worth of gold-bearing material.
“Gumede and Zitha, who are out on R5 000 bail each, appeared in the Oberholzer Magistrates Court in Carletonville before they were re-arrested to join their co-accused,” it was revealed.

The suspects are said to have been living way beyond their means as they bought farms, luxury vehicles and owned large numbers of cattle.

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