THE North West is facing ongoing zama zama challenges.
Members of the South African National Defence Force (SANDF) will be deployed to the troubled province.
They will help clamp down on illegal mining.
Soldiers will work side by side with the South African Police Service (SAPS) to tackle zama zama activities in identified hotspots.
North West Premier Lazarus Mokgosi confirmed the deployment on Thursday, 26 February, during his State of the Province Address (Sopa) in Mahikeng.
Addressing Members of the Provincial Legislature and residents, Mokgosi said the move follows a successful intervention in the Matlosana Local Municipality, where more than 1 400 zama zamas were arrested.
He said the SANDF will now beef up SAPS operations in hotspot areas across the province.
The announcement follows President Cyril Ramaphosa's State of the Nation Address, where he revealed that the army would be deployed to the country's most troubled areas to tackle illegal mining.
Areas such as Orkney, near Kanana and Stilfontein, near Khuma have been rocked by violent crime linked to zama zama syndicates.
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Many of the zama zamas are foreign nationals from Lesotho, Mozambique and Zimbabwe, and have often clashed with law enforcement in deadly shoot-outs.
In January and February 2025, more than 200 zama zamas were trapped underground in Stilfontein.
During the four-day rescue operation, 78 bodies were recovered, while 246 survivors, many severely emaciated and disoriented, were brought to the surface.
Only 35 of the bodies were later identified.
In October 2021, a deadly shoot-out at Shaft Number Six in Orkney, outside Klerksdorp, left at least six miners dead.
Thirty-five zama zamas were later arrested on charges, including attempted murder, causing an explosion, malicious damage to property and conspiracy to commit a crime.
Earlier, in June 2021, the bodies of 20 Lesotho nationals were found in Orkney, outside Klerksdorp.
Now, with soldiers set to hit the ground, government is determined to end the bloodshed and restore order in mining communities.
