Cape Town – Police Minister Bheki Cele has reportedly announced the deployment of a national intervention unit and tactical response team to tackle illegal mining in the west of Johannesburg.
The specialised unit will be tasked with cleaning out criminal activity and illegal mining at abandoned mines, reported EWN.
The report said that Cele visited the community of West Village and Kagiso during a two-day imbizo over the weekend after residents went on a protest and burned properties they believed to be a hideout for zama zamas
Furthermore, the police have joined forces with the Department of Home Affairs and Mineral Resources to effectively eradicate illegal mining and the criminal syndicates that control them, the report said.
[ACTION] Minister Cele says the response from @SAPoliceService which will see units of the SAPS deployed to the #WestRand to tackle #IllegalMining should be on par with the onslaught expected from the #ZamaZamas who some of them are heavily armed. #KagisoImbizo pic.twitter.com/Z7cLrd38Bl
— Lirandzu Themba (@LirandzuThemba) August 7, 2022
This comes following the gang rape of eight young women who were part of a crew shooting a music video in Krugersdorp’s West Village late last month.
The incident put the spotlight on illegal mining in South Africa.
The crew was attacked near an illegal mine which led to the arrest of dozens of illegal miners, often referred to as zama zamas.
Following the horrific incident, different law enforcement units in the presence of Cele, carried out a search and seize operation at eight premises in Krugersdorp and Randfontein.
At least 46 suspects, including foreign nationals, were arrested and one was fatally wounded.
Shortly after, angry residents from Kagiso took to the streets to hunt the zama zamas whom they claimed were committing crimes in the area with no intervention from the police, reported IOL.
The report said that over 100 illegal miners had been arrested since the horrific incident at Krugersdorp.
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Picture: Twitter/ @PhakamaMthwaka1
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Compiled by Olwethu Mpeshe
