WhatTheySaid.co.zaThe Madlanga Commission record, in plain language
Schemes›SC0008›Illegal mining kingpin arrested then allowed to escape
⚡arrestDecember 2024E000111

Illegal mining kingpin arrested then allowed to escape

An illegal mining kingpin — reportedly a Lesotho national operating in Stilfontein — was arrested but allegedly allowed to escape by police officers. Multiple testimonies refer to the same individual across December 2024 and January 2025.

14 claimsIllicit Mining Task Team funding
14 claims from testimony
Day 37 · 20 November 2025
"That person was arrested, and he ran away"
arrest statusZama Zama kingpin who ran away from custodyBrown MogotsiCL0031962
"From Stilfontein"
origin locationZama Zama kingpin who ran away from custodyBrown MogotsiCL0031963
"I cannot confirm. I do not know."
locationZama Zama kingpin who ran away from custodyBrown MogotsiCL0031970
"I think it happened before"
timing relative to tiger tshoaeliZama Zama kingpin who ran away from custodyBrown MogotsiCL0031974
"it was in December"
event dateZama Zama kingpin who ran away from custodyBrown MogotsiCL0031977
"It is from the community that side"
knowledge sourceZama Zama kingpin who ran away from custodyBrown MogotsiCL0031978
Day 71 · 4 March 2026
"involving illegal mining kingpin, who was arrested and allegedly led by the police to run away"
action statusZama Zama kingpin who ran away from custodyLieutenant General SibiyaCL0072644
"And when they are arrested, they are able to pay their way out and their people working with them"
action takenZama Zama kingpin who ran away from custodyLieutenant General SibiyaCL0072648
"Yes, he was arrested by the police and went out with the police"
escorted byZama Zama kingpin who ran away from custodyLieutenant General SibiyaCL0072649
"And he never came back"
action statusZama Zama kingpin who ran away from custodyLieutenant General SibiyaCL0072650
"it was understood that is the main kingpin who was given problem there in Stilfontein"
roleZama Zama kingpin who ran away from custodyLieutenant General SibiyaCL0072651
"one of the main kingpins was arrested and the police let him go"
action statusZama Zama kingpin who ran away from custodyLieutenant General SibiyaCL0072652
"And I think he is a Lesotho national"
originZama Zama kingpin who ran away from custodyLieutenant General SibiyaCL0072654
Day 116 · 9 June 2026
"the arrest that Mr Mogotsi was referring to was when the Zama-Zama kingpin himself was actually arrested, and that was in December, January."
arrested onAdv PooeCL0135125