The South African army has launched an investigation into the deaths of four soldiers who were guarding a disused mine in the northwest of the country on Saturday.
In a statement on Sunday, the South African National Defence Force (SANDF) said the four were discovered inside a guard house when another team of soldiers came to relieve them at a mine in Orkney in North West province.
SANDF spokesperson Siphiwe Dlamini said the South African Police Service was called in “and upon inspection of the scene, all four had died, with their rifles on them and their items still with them.”
“The district surgeon was called to the scene and examined the bodies and confirmed no injuries,” Dlamini said.
The soldiers were part of a military operation that started in November 2023 when President Cyril Ramaphosa deployed 3,300 soldiers to tackle illegal mining activities by marauding gangs of artisanal miners known locally as zama zamas.
The deployment came as the South African authorities battled to contain an illegal mining syndicate that is believed to have connections in high places.
The illegal miners, who are mostly undocumented foreigners from neighbouring countries, are blamed for the high crime in parts of the country.
JN/APA