Over 600 Randfontein families flee homes amid illegal mining violence
Hundreds of Bekkersdal residents have sought refuge in community halls as escalating zama zama violence forces families to abandon their homes.
More than 600 families have allegedly fled their homes in Randfontein following escalating violence linked to illegal mining, with many displaced residents now sheltering in community halls.
The mass displacement, reportedly driven by intimidation and violent criminal activity associated with zama zamas, has intensified calls for urgent intervention in the area.
The Gauteng Provincial Legislature’s Portfolio Committee on Community Safety has welcomed President Cyril Ramaphosa’s recent announcement that members of the South African National Defence Force (SANDF) will be deployed to Gauteng and other affected parts of the country, including Randfontein, to combat illegal mining and related crimes.
Also read: Armed zama zamas face police fire in Westonaria shootout
In a statement issued by Thebe Khumalo on behalf of the committee chairperson, Bandile Masuku, the intervention was described as firm and long overdue.
“The announcement, made during the State of the Nation Address in Parliament last week, underscores the gravity of the crisis and the urgent necessity for a co-ordinated, robust response to dismantle highly organised criminal syndicates that have terrorised communities and undermined the rule of law,” Khumalo said.
He added that during a recent unannounced oversight visit to the Bekkersdal Police Station, committee members received disturbing reports of zama zamas intimidating residents, committing violent crimes and effectively holding communities hostage through fear.
The committee stressed that illegal mining is not an isolated offence but a deeply entrenched criminal enterprise that threatens lives, damages infrastructure and erodes public confidence in the state’s ability to ensure safety.
“Conventional policing measures alone are insufficient to address the scale of the threat. A more aggressive, integrated and multi-agency approach is required to decisively confront and eradicate the criminal networks involved,” Khumalo stated.
Related article: 11 suspected zama zamas arrested in Westonaria
The deployment of the SANDF, he said, represents a critical intervention that the committee has repeatedly recommended.
The committee expressed confidence that the military’s presence will strengthen law-enforcement operations, restore stability in affected areas and send a clear message that criminality will not be tolerated in Gauteng.
It further confirmed that it will closely monitor the implementation and impact of the SANDF deployment while continuing to work with all spheres of government to ensure that communities can live free from fear, violence and intimidation.
