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Gunfights between rival illegal mining groups forced the closure of one of Mpumalanga’s busiest and most scenic routes, the R539 in Schoemanskloof, for the third time since Tuesday (September 29).

The road is currently an active crime scene as a second body was found hanging on a barbed-wire fence near the main road early this morning.

Watch as forensic services arrive on scene:

Video credit: Mweli Deejay Masilela, with permission granted to Lowvelder

The latest gunfight broke out at around 18:00 yesterday (September 30) and continued for around 40 minutes, with residents describing the sound of the shooting as being like a war zone.

The road was closed again to protect motorists from the crossfire.

The first incident happened on Tuesday morning. Community members spoke to Lowvelder but did not want to be identified, fearing retaliation amid the ongoing zama zama rivalry. They said it sounded like a war zone when the first shots were heard just after 08:00. According to one community member, the first rounds sounded louder than high-calibre weapons and could have been RPG-7s or hand grenades.

They said the gunfire continued until just before 10:00. The shoot-out then moved closer to Schoemanskloof Road and more gunfire was heard from about 11:30 for another 15 minutes. Police were on the scene by then.

Also read: Shoot-out between zama zamas closes N4 on Schoemanskloof

Yesterday morning, the body of a man lying on a makeshift stretcher believed to have been used to carry him down the mountain near Mashoboto Hill was found next to the road. The body was riddled with bullets, including one to the head. Preliminary reports suggest that the deaths could be linked to rivalry between illegal mining groups.

According to Mpumalanga police spokesperson Colonel Mavela Masondo, six other bodies were also found in the vicinity on August 29 and it is believed that they were caught in crossfire between the rival groups.

Spike in violence

This week’s events were not the first of their kind. According to a community member, sporadic shots have been heard for the past two years and reported to police every time. Tuesday’s fight was allegedly the fourth incident involving heavy gunfire since July, with two incidents in August, one being on August 28.

Farm workers said the zama zamas told them that heavily armed men from Lesotho have been coming into the area, which sparked the clashes.

During the gunfights, the rivals criss-cross through farmland. “It is compromising the security of the area and the public driving on the road. The first incidents in July and August started at first light and lasted for about 45 minutes,” the community member explained.

Bodies serve as warning

According to the sources, bodies are placed in the road where trucks drive over them, and they believe this is intended to serve as a warning to other groups not to enter certain ‘territories’. One source told Lowvelder that zama zamas intruding into the territory are often chased across Schoemanskloof Road towards the river, where community members have reportedly encountered them running with weapons and shooting at each other. “Motorists are going to be shot in the crossfire if the matter isn’t addressed with urgency,” a source said.

This busy route is used daily by motorists travelling between Mbombela and Gauteng.

“We were informed that there was a shoot-out and police responded. However, we could not find anything when we arrived. We suspect that the shooters fled the scene after seeing the police,” said Masondo on Tuesday.

Police later confirmed that two live rounds of ammunition and an empty AK-47 magazine were discovered at the scene. He said the circumstances surrounding the reported shooting remained unclear, including who was involved and what triggered the incident. “We continue to monitor the area and hope to establish what the cause of the shoot-out was,” he said.

The recent violence has also reignited concerns among land and business owners in Schoemanskloof, who say illegal mining activities have left them increasingly worried about their safety. They fear that ongoing clashes between rival groups of illegal miners could result in innocent residents, farmworkers and motorists being injured or killed. “We are sitting ducks. By the time police arrived, the suspected illegal miners had seen them coming and fled the area. They merely disappear into the communities and return to activities when the police have left. What we are witnessing is a form of terrorism. They are heavily armed men with no fear of the law,” one resident said.

Calls for intervention

Community members are calling on the police to maximise their operations in the area to curb illegal mining, which also has devastating effects on the environment. During a meeting with the police in Pilgrim’s Rest last weekend, a call was made to appoint an independent task team with members from outside the province to assist.

According to a concerned local, the South African National Defence Force (SANDF) deployed a group in the area last year, which reportedly had a positive impact. Once they had left, however, illegal mining resumed. “The police now come, take away their equipment – like generators and jackhammers – but a few days later, they are operational again. What needs to be investigated is who is heading up these activities,” the source said.

Mpumalanga Community Safety, Security and Liaison MEC Jackie Macie highlighted that road closures severely impact the economy, tourism and residents in the area. “From our side, while we appreciate the efforts from the police, we want to urge them to continue with their specialised operations and thoroughly investigate suspects who have been apprehended over the past month,” he said. Macie noted that the department is working closely with police and other stakeholders to ensure the safety of motorists.

Tourism calls for SANDF deployment

This morning, Oupa Pilane, special attaché for tourism development and transformation from the Kruger Lowveld Chamber of Business and Tourism, released a statement: “The growing threat of illegal mining in Mpumalanga can no longer be treated as an isolated mining problem. It is becoming a public safety, tourism and economic security crisis.

“The recent incident involving suspected illegal miners and the disruption of the N4 should concern every resident, business and tourism operator in our province. When criminal activity reaches the point where a strategic national road can be disrupted and motorists, communities and visitors are placed at risk, government must respond decisively.

“If the SANDF can be deployed alongside the police to combat illegal mining in other affected parts of South Africa, Mpumalanga cannot be left behind. I call on President Cyril Ramaphosa and the national security authorities to urgently assess the deployment of additional security resources, including SANDF support where constitutionally appropriate, to illegal mining hotspots in Mpumalanga.

“The N4 is more than a road. It is an economic and tourism artery connecting Gauteng, Mbombela, the Kruger National Park and Mozambique.

“We cannot invite the world to visit Mpumalanga while criminal networks are allowed to threaten communities and strategic tourism corridors.

“This must go beyond responding to individual incidents. Government must identify and dismantle the criminal networks behind illegal mining, remove illegal operations, deal with illegal firearms and secure affected communities and strategic routes. Tourism depends on confidence. Confidence depends on safety.”

The farming community in Schoemanskloof echoed this sentiment. One farmer said the area is known as one of the country’s best citrus-growing areas and said the future of their industry is at stake, with the current situation causing potentially irreparable harm to farmers who rely on the export of their product.

This is a developing story. A journalist is currently at the scene where a police forensic team is investigating.

Watch as Gia Radnai reports from the scene:

*The R539 towards Schoemanskloof has reopened and is safe for motorists to travel.