Another weekend of zama zama gunfire

“Our communities are under siege. Serious steps need to be taken to decisively bring illegal mining activities to an end.”

This is according to Benoni CPF chairperson Reza Patel following yet another weekend marred with extensive gun fire erupting in the vicinity of the infamous Shaft 10, on Golden Drive.

According to Patel, heavy gunfire near New Modder was reported on June 7.

“Information indicated that two factions, Zulus and Basutos, clashed,” he said.

“These men are employed by the zama zamas to secure and protect illegal mining activities, against rival factions.”

Patel said that the skirmish between the two groups resulted in residents of New Modder retreating into the safety of their homes, while those in Morehill feared that the violence may spill into the streets of the sleepy suburb.

According to Ward 27 councillor Lornette Joseph, residents were urged to stay indoors just after 07:00 yesterday (June 8) as gun fire again pierced the silence.

“Shots rang unabated, sending panic throughout the area,” said Joseph.

“Residents were terrified as the shots continued to ring out, throughout the day.”

Arms and munition
With the support of Bidvest Protea Coin’s helicopter as well as drones deployed by Blue Hawk Tactical (BHT), aerial footage showed groups of 20 to 25 men, armed with high calibre rifles, moving with military precision to their targets.

“From what we witnessed, there is no doubt that these ‘security personnel’ have received military training of some sort,” said Patel.

“Our local police stations do not have the resources nor training to deal with matters of this nature.

“We need specialised support and continued pressure if there is any hope of bringing an end to the tyranny.”

Benoni SAPS Vispol commander, Colonel Sinothi Ndaba, echoed Patel’s sentiments, stating that local ‘soft policing’ cannot combat the scourge of illegal mining.

“We have a sector vehicle patrolling the area around Golden Drive, however areas surrounding illegal mining activities are not accessible to a little sedan,” said Ndaba.

“We need to go back to the drawing board, engage with all the relevant stakeholders and formulate an intelligence driven operation plan which would ultimately put an end to the zama zama activities.”

Ndaba confirmed that no injuries or deaths were reported following the weekend’s unrest and no arrests have been made.

Operation Vala Mgodi
SAPS deputy district commissioner Brigadier Lebohang Machakela, along Department of Minerals and Energy (DMR) launched the highly anticipated Operation Vala Mgodi (Close the Holes), January 27.

The objective of the operation, which ran for three months, until March 31, was to identify and seal illegal mine shafts in Benoni.

During that time, specialised public and private units were deployed to illegal mining hotspots to safeguard illegal shafts, allowing necessary machinery to access and seal the sites.

“The police will work closely with the DMR to ensure the identified areas are secure,” Machakela said at the time.

As part of the tactical response, efforts were made to strangle supplies to and from the surface, in hopes that it would force zama zamas to abandon their underground activities, leaving them with no choice but to surface.

“Following the roll-out of Operation Vala Mgodi, illegal mining activities in Benoni seemingly came to an end and hopes that the affected areas could be rehabilitated was finally in sight,” said Patel.

“We are however back to square one and the fight has intensified.”

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