JOHANNESBURG — The Asset Forfeiture Unit of the National Prosecuting Authority, in collaboration with the South African Police Service’s special illegal mining unit, has secured a provisional order for the seizure of assets valued at over R1.5 billion related to an illegal mining operation.
According to South African Government News Agency, the seized assets include a farm in Carolina, an estimated 270,000 tons of coal, cars, and heavy-duty machinery used at the alleged illegal mine in Mpumalanga. The illegal mining activities were conducted by a company named GNJ Mining, which, over a two-year period, extracted coal valued at approximately R264 million without lawful authorization or permits from the Department of Mineral Resources and Environmental Affairs (DMRE) or the Mpumalanga Department of Agriculture, Rural Development, Land and Environmental Affairs (DARDLEA).
Nyuswa detailed that the seizure followed an operation by the South African Police Service (SAPS) on 19 September 2023, after receiving credible information about the illegal activities. During the raid, the police arrested the illegal mine manager, Paul Boshoff, and seized the mentioned assets at the farm and Droogvalley. Boshoff was arrested on the day of the raid and appeared in court the following day.
The illegal mining operation at the farm and Droogvalley involved processing and “washing” the illicitly mined coal to prepare it for sale to GNJ Mining’s coal-using clients. The magnitude of the illegal operation was evident during the SAPS operation.
The criminal case related to this illegal mining and asset seizure is scheduled to be heard on 16 February 2024 at the Carolina Magistrates’ Court.