Investigations into the murder of a man alleged to have zama zama (illegal gold mining) ties are continuing after his body was discovered outside a residential building in Maboneng on September 14.
Jeppe SAPS spokesperson Capt Richard Munyayi said the man was found lying face down with multiple gunshot wounds to his upper body.
He said CCTV footage of the murder, taken from the entrance of Eyethu House, which is a residential apartment building owned and managed by Ithemba Property, depicts two men accosting another before the victim is seen falling to the ground as he attempts to escape the assailants.
The two men are then seen standing over the victim before firing shots at close range before fleeing the scene.
The victim was certified dead on the scene.
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“A murder case was opened, however, no arrests have been made so far,” said Munyayi.
Eight empty shell casings were discovered next to the man’s body, along with one live round.
“The victim reportedly made a living as a zama zama, which loosely translates to ‘people who are trying to make a living’. The motive for the murder is unknown.”
He said a possible zama zama turf war could not be ruled out.
Paul Schaefer, chief operating officer at Ithemba Property, who could neither confirm or refute the rumours, said the company made contact with the office of the mayor immediately after the incident.
“We are grateful that there is a renewed energy and commitment to fighting crime in the city but we all play a key role in working together to ensure we achieve our objectives of a clean and crime-free city,” said Schaefer.
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“This specific building where this incident took place forms part of the Maboneng Civic Association (MCA). We held meetings with them to increase and improve security and safety around the area.
“Various initiatives have been put in place since then and the MCA is continuously investigating other security opportunities. The MCA, similar to various other City Improvement Districts (CIDs), spend plenty of private money on safety and cleaning.”
Attempts to obtain comment from the mayor’s office and MCA were not successful.
