The City of Cape Town has impounded two digger loaders linked to suspected illegal sand mining in Khayelitsha, as part of a wider push against unlawful activity in the area, officials say. The machinery was found after law enforcement officers responded to repeated complaints from residents.

According to Cape Times, officers were first called out on Thursday. When they arrived, they found the heavy machinery on site, but the operators had already fled and taken the keys with them. That left the city with a difficult recovery operation, but not enough to stop the seizure from going ahead.

Operators fled before officers could act

Law Enforcement spokesperson Wayne Dyason said officers returned to the site on Friday and proceeded with the impoundment. He described it as a “mammoth impoundment operation”, with the two digger loaders removed by heavy-duty trucks.

The city says the equipment had been abandoned by the time officers got there, but that did not end the matter. Instead, the scene became part of an ongoing investigation into who was behind the suspected mining activity and how the machinery ended up there in the first place.

City suspects machinery was hired

Dyason said the digger loaders are believed to have been hired rather than owned by the operators on site. Because of that, the city says the vehicles will remain in its possession until the investigation has been completed.

That detail may prove important. If the machines were rented out, investigators may now try to trace who hired them and whether there is a broader operation behind the sand mining activity.

Investigation continues in Khayelitsha

Illegal sand mining has long raised concerns because of its environmental impact and the damage it can cause to land and nearby communities. In this case, city officials have made it clear that the matter is not closed simply because the operators ran away.

Dyason said the machinery will stay in the city’s possession pending the outcome of the investigation. He added that “every effort will be made” to bring those responsible to book. For now, the seizure marks a visible step by Cape Town authorities as they try to clamp down on illegal extraction in Khayelitsha.