Reuters reports that Sibanye Gold said on Monday that 202 illegal miners had now been arrested at its Cooke operations southwest of Johannesburg since the start of a violent wildcat strike last Tuesday.  

The strike, which has seen more than a dozen miners assaulted by strikers, was triggered by workers angered by a company drive to root out illegal miners.  Some employees have also been arrested for collusion and for taking food down to the illegal miners working underground.  A company spokesman said the Cooke operation would be closed for the rest of the week as the gold producer assessed the security situation.  "We will review the situation again closer to the weekend," the spokesman indicated.  The mine appeared quiet on Monday with the road to the Cooke 1 and 2 shafts blocked off.  Sibanye has vowed it will clear all illegal miners from its shafts by next year.

• Read this report in full at TimesLive

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