MINERS who had been illegally carrying out operations at Peace Mine in Silobela were on Tuesday evicted from the mine by the Sheriff of the High Court with the assistance of the police who have since sealed off the mine.
Heavily armed support unit police officers moved in and evicted everyone from the mine and threw out their equipment including hammer mills and transformers.
The illegal miners operating under the banner of Silobela Community Ownership Trust led by Ms Sibusisiwe Moyo who claims to be the rightful owner of the claim, had been involved in a wrangle with Chief Sigodo (real name Appollo Mhlope) over the ownership of the mine.
Despite the High Court ruling in favour of Chief Sigodo and ordering the illegal miners to vacate the mine, the miners kept conducting operations, going against the order. Silobela Member of Parliament Cde Mthokozisi Manoki Mpofu confirmed the sheriff moved in and removed all the people and equipment from the mine. The eviction order dated 4 April 2019, ordered the removal of Ms Moyo and her team from the mine to pave way for the peaceful entrance of Chief Sigodo into the mine.
About 40 hammer mills and transformers were part of the equipment moved out by the sheriff.
Ms Moyo could not be reached for comment. Contacted for comment, Chief Sigodo said, going forward, the Ministry of Mines and Mining Development will have to carry out an assessment first before giving a go ahead for resumption of mining activities._The Sunday News