Acting Minister of Police Professor Firoz Cachalia will meet with Bapo ba Mogale Traditional Council leadership on Monday, 22 December 2025, to address illegal mining operations in Bapong village, North West province.

Professor Cachalia was appointed as the Acting Minister of Police on August 1, 2025, after President Cyril Ramaphosa placed Minister Senzo Mchunu on leave of absence pending a judicial inquiry into allegations of corruption and interference. Cachalia is a constitutional law expert and former MEC for Community Safety in Gauteng.

The ministerial visit, scheduled for 10:00 AM at the Royal Palace, follows enforcement operations between 11-20 December that resulted in 21 arrests and seizure of ten excavators and mining equipment. He will be accompanied by Premier Lazarus Kagiso Mokgosi and National Police Commissioner General Fannie Masemola.

The operations targeted chrome mining in Bapong’s Sarajevo Section, Legalaopeng, and Modderspruit villages. The National Police Commissioner confirmed deployment of additional resources following community reports.

GI Advisory monitors extractive sector governance developments for risk assessment in support of government, mining, security, and international development entities’ decision-making.

Sources: SAPS Media Invitation (21 Dec 2025); SAPS operational reports; The South African; TimesLive