Police in Tubatse in Limpopo arrested 11 suspects who allegedly threatened to shut down and disrupt mining activities at one of the mines in the area on Friday.
They were charged with extortion and will appear in the Praktiseer magistrate’s court on Monday.
Limpopo police spokesperson Col Malesela Ledwaba said members of the provincial organised crime unit were notified about the incident in October when members of the local business forum handed their memorandum of complaints to the mine.
“Following other engagements between the mine and the forum, they did not agree on some of the terms including demanding to be given mine tenders.
“They allegedly threatened to close and disrupt the mining activities on Friday if the mine did not meet their demands,” Ledwaba said.
On Friday, at 12.30pm, the 11 members attached to the forum gathered at the mine gate and were immediately arrested.
TimesLIVE
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