South African Army to Support Police in Curbing Illegal Mining
- Deployment of military for domestic policing relatively rare
- Illegal mining cost South African economy $2.6 billion in 2019
A miner uses a pickaxe to gather coal at an abandoned coal mine in Ermelo, South Africa.
Photographer: Emmanuel Croset/AFP/Getty ImagesThis article is for subscribers only.
South African President Cyril Ramaphosa authorized the deployment of 3,300 soldiers in support of police efforts to curb illegal mining, his office said in a statement on Thursday.
The deployment will run until April 28 and parliament’s defense committee is expected to approve the use of the army in the coming weeks.