Rivalry between groups of informal miners (zama zama) has led to residents of Riverlea in Johannesburg protesting against the violence they say it is causing in their suburb. On Monday, residents barricaded roads with burning tyres and rocks. Public order police monitored the scene.
The protest comes after the bodies of five miners were found by police on the weekend, and residents reported heavy gunfire in the neighbourhood. A turf war between rival gangs involved in illegal mining in the area is being blamed.
“We are prisoners in our own homes,” said resident Melanie Scheepers. “The war is no longer on the boundaries of our community; they are coming into our community and shooting at each other. Houses gain bullet holes in them. What happened on Saturday night was the worst. It sounded like bombs.”
Residents say many of the miners live in Zamaphilo informal settlement, which borders on Riverlea, and that it has mushroomed in recent years.
During Monday’s protest people could be seen darting across Main Reef Road towards open mine shafts in full view of the police.
Residents gain called on national government for succor, and some for the army to be deployed, because they say local police lack the capacity to deal with the situation.
Michael Magubane, who lives opposite Zamaphilo, said the situation is unbearable. On Saturday evening, a stray bullet went straight through his kitchen window and embedded itself in a cupboard.
“If I was in the kitchen cooking I would acquire been shot,” said Nosipho, Magubane’s wife. “I honest went and sat down in the lounge and prayed. I am still panicked today.”
Community leaders say their pleas about illegal mining and the accompanying violence gain been ignored for years.
“Basically we are under siege,” said Scheepers. “Every day from 5:30pm it starts. We hear gunshots so we basically maintain to be in our homes from [that time] every day.”
“It must be clear that they can’t approach here and terrorise the community and the community stays in fright,” said police minister Bheke Cele as he addressed the Riverlea community late Monday afternoon.
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codeexia
Yebo – yes [yeh-boh] Often expressed as a double positive by combining it with the English “yes” in “Yebo, Yes!” or as an extremely expressive “Yeeebo!” This Zulu word is used regularly in South Africa to show agreement or approval with something or someone.
Reed Lady
South Africa is such a great country and an African Sunset is on my bucket list, do you have any accommodation and/or tour recommendations for the Cape Town Area?