Authorities have swooped on a brazen illegal chrome mining operation in rural Limpopo, confiscating mining equipment worth millions of rands - and local villagers are furious. Two months ago the Sunday Times revealed how the chrome mine was operating with the blessing of the headman of nearby Tjibeng Village.At the time, mining experts estimated that more than 360,000 tons of chrome with a value of R500-million had been removed from the mine over the past year.Limpopo police spokeswoman Colonel Ronel Otto confirmed that the police had given "operational support" to the Department of Mineral Resources in the execution of a warrant on Tuesday following a complaint of illegal mining.story_article_left1A source close to the case said the mineworkers had been tipped off about the impending raid and had worked through the weekend to smuggle 78 truckloads of chrome off the site.They had also moved a number of heavy-duty vehicles from the area.It is believed that the South African Revenue Service and the Hawks have been brought into the investigation.The complaint that triggered the raid was lodged by a mining company that operates next to the illegal mine and intends to expand its operations into the area.But residents of Tjibeng who had worked at the illegal mine were up in arms over the raid.Justice Maesela, 34, said: "This basically denies us the right to feed ourselves and our families. That is not fair."The South African government should help us. This is a community project, where do we go to now? Do we go and steal? What do our girlfriends do? Do they go and sell their bodies?"Tebatso Kodibona, 27, said he had supported his siblings with the wage of R3,750 a month he received from the mine."We are left with nothing. All we can do next is go and steal from shops owned by foreigners if that's what the government wants by taking the food off our tables," he said.story_article_right2When the Sunday Times visited the mine earlier this year, the local headman claimed that he had the authority of local traditional leaders to allow the mine to operate.The Limpopo provincial department of co-operative governance, human settlements and traditional affairs has said it does not recognise the traditional Sekhukhune council cited by the headman.Ayanda Shezi, spokeswoman for the Department of Mineral Resources, said in June that the department had visited the site but had not been able to shut it down.The department then obtained the court order for the mine's closure that was executed this week.Mining equipment confiscated during the raid - estimated to be worth more than R50-million - included giant Caterpillar D9 bulldozers, front-end loaders, dump trucks and excavators.The Department of Mineral Resources said this week that the police investigation would establish how many people had been employed at the mine and how much chrome had been extracted."The area will be rehabilitated [and] the department will continue to process any rights or permits from interested parties," said spokesman Martin Madlala...