One of the 21 alleged illegal miners seeking bail told the Stilfontein Magistrates court in the North West on Wednesday that he had never visited the mine shaft where twenty of his co-accused were arrested last month.
During cross-examined at his bail hearing, the court informed him that his vehicle was seen entering and exiting the mine shaft many times. The group of illegal miners were arrested in a mine shaft with 15 AK -47s, six hunting rifles, two shotguns, and a box full of ammunition. When a police vehicle carrying the accused arrived at the Stilfontein magistrates court on Wednesday; security was tight, and there was a strong police presence.
The state prosecutor identified twelve occasions between August 24 and September 30 in which the car of accused 21 , Boyz Nyokong was seen entering an abandoned mineshaft and in one instance, a body was being loaded into his vehicle. Nyoking’s vehicle mainly delivered food bags and containers, but it also transported a generator at the end of September.
But Nyokong denied being at the Scott mine shaft and claimed he occasionally lends his car to people and his car mechanic. When asked where he was when his vehicle was seen, he said he was asleep or transporting his children to school. Nyokong got irritated when the prosecution got fixated on the dates and times his vehicle was spotted at the mine shaft. He then asked why law enforcement did not arrest the person who frequented the mine shaft if it was illegal. Time limitations forced an end of his bail hearing, and the court was concerned that the accused would have to return to their Potchefstroom detention cells before the conclusion of the hearing.
Five accused have been identified as South African citizens, while the other 16 are foreign foreigners. Their arrest came after the Hawks investigated the accused’s suspected illegal mining operations. They are charged with possession of prohibited firearms, ammunition, and violation of the Immigration Act. The bail application will continue on November 21
