JOHANNESBURG – The Home Affairs Department will have to verify the nationality of four alleged illegal mining kingpins who were arrested on Tuesday.
Six men appeared in the Carltonville Magistrates Court on Wednesday on charges including fraud and contravention of the Precious Metals Act.
The men were arrested in the Carletonville and Khutsong areas after allegedly buying freshly mined gold from illegal miners known as zama zamas to process and sell it.
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Bethuel Ngobeni, Dumisani Moyo, Nhlanhla Magwaca, Moseki, Thabo Sechele and Khudzai Mashaya all stood in the dock wearing face masks as their lawyer tried to secure the soonest date for their bail application.
The men’s immigration status will be pivotal as they prepare to apply for bail in two weeks’ time.
The defence insists all the men are South African citizens, however, the Hawk’s Katlego Mogale said some of them have been charged with contravening the Immigrations Act.
“Four of the accused are said to be foreign nationals and therefore, on 19 October, we will be able to say whether they are South Africans or foreign nationals.”
When the court ruled that the bail application will be heard on 19 October, the gallery grumbled.
The men will remain in custody.
