Two South African soldiers die in mine shaft during illegal mining operation

Two South African soldiers died after falling down a mine shaft during an operation against illicit mining, a police spokeswoman said.

Police spokeswoman Athlenda Mathe said the incident happened at an abandoned mine west of Johannesburg while soldiers were pursuing suspected illegal miners, known locally as zama zamas. She said the soldiers fell into an open vertical shaft.

The South African National Defence Force said the incident happened at about 6:00 am local time. It said efforts were under way to formally identify the soldiers and notify their next of kin.

The deaths are the first military fatalities since President Cyril Ramaphosa deployed troops in March to support police operations against crime and illegal mining.

Acting police minister Firoz Cachalia said the loss of the soldiers was a devastating blow to the security cluster and the country.

Clandestine artisanal miners, many from neighbouring countries, have become established around Johannesburg and nearby settlements along the gold reef. They enter abandoned gold-bearing shafts or dig new ones. The sector has been linked to organised crime, assassinations, extortion and other illegal activities.

Last week, security forces rounded up more than 200 mostly undocumented foreign nationals during a raid on a gold mine shaft west of Johannesburg, police said. More than 100 were from Lesotho, and Mozambicans, Zimbabweans and South Africans were also arrested. Guns and ammunition were confiscated.

Police data said that since the joint police-military operation began in Gauteng province, authorities arrested at least 793 suspects between April 1 and June 30, including 595 undocumented migrants. They also seized mining equipment, including generators, and 973,859 grams of gold-bearing material.

The raids come as South Africa is cracking down on undocumented migrants. An AFP tally based on figures from African countries that repatriated their nationals said nearly 150,000 people had returned home in recent weeks.

The military deployment, codenamed Operation Prosper, is due to last a year and mobilises more than 2,200 soldiers.