R13 Million Equipment Used to Illegally Mine Areas Belonging to De Beers in Northern Cape Preserved After Court Order

SIHLE MAVUSO|June 5, 2025

**OFFICIALLY PRESERVED: Some of the equipment will be preserved until the case is concluded. Photo: NPA Northern Cape.**

The Northern Cape High Court in Kimberly has granted the Asset Forfeiture Unit (AFU) an order to preserve R13 million equipment that was allegedly used for illegal mining operations on properties belonging to diamond mining giant, De Beers.

The order was granted on Thursday, 4 June 2025, and the preserved assets include 244 generators, 155 jackhammers, and 58 heavy-duty drills, which were seized during law enforcement operations aimed at tackling rampant illegal diamond mining in and around Kleinsee and Port Nolloth in the province.

These tools were identified as instrumentalities used in the commission of the offence of illegal mining.

According to Mojalefa Senokoatsane, the spokesperson of the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) in the province, the equipment was first seized in October 2023 during an operation that included police and a local private security company on restricted mining properties owned by De Beers.

***PRESERVED: The equipment was allegedly used for illegal mining operations on properties belonging to diamond mining giant De Beers. Photo: NPA Northern Cape.***

These properties, specifically Portion 0 of the Farm Twee Pad No. 178, Portion 0 of the Farm Sandkop No. 322, and Portion 0 of the Farm Kleinzee No. 654, had been declared off-limits to illegal miners through an interdict obtained in 2023.

“Despite the court interdict, illegal mining persisted on these properties. The order had been prominently displayed at entrances to the area’s hostels and distributed in multiple African languages. However, the illegal mining activities continued unabated, prompting SAPS to act.

“The extensive raid led to the seizure of the equipment, which was booked as exhibits at Kleinsee and Port Nolloth police stations under Kleinsee CAS 21/09/2023. Notably, no individual has come forward to claim ownership of the seized equipment, a strong indication of its use in illicit operations,” he said.