Illegal miner dies while destroying evidence

A man‚ believed to be an illegal miner has died‚ allegedly while trying to destroy explosives used in his clandestine activity.

According to Limpopo police‚ the incident too place at the unlicensed Clapham mine in Burgersfort at the weekend. He was reportedly detonating an explosive substance at the mine.

Brigadier Motlafela Mojapelo said on Monday that 53-year-old Bright Chirongoma was severely injured in the explosion‚ and that he later succumbed to his injuries in hospital.

"The deceased and the other two persons‚ all employees at the said mine‚ were allegedly sent by their employer to destroy the explosives soon after he was arrested together with his two accomplices on Friday‚ said Mojapelo.

He added that the mine owner and the two other employees were arrested for “operating a chrome mine with a fraudulent license”.

“During the process of this destruction‚ the device exploded and two miners were injured‚" said Mojapelo.

Chirongoma sustained critical injuries while the other mine worker was treated and discharged on the same day.

Mojapelo said the mine had been operating with an alleged fraudulent licence for some time.

On Friday‚ police confiscated mining machinery worth millions of rand from the premises and arrested the three suspects.

The suspects‚ Hendrieck Christiaan Els‚ 42‚ Ephraim Manyaka‚ and Phillimon Mashabela‚ both 60‚ appeared in the Mecklenburg Magistrate Court on Monday.

Their case was postponed for a week for a bail application.