Police tackle illegal mining activities in Florida
The zama zama plight in Florida leaves police with no choice but to go in harder to keep residents safe.
Florida police conducted their weekly illegal mining operations in Jerusalema informal settlement making numerous arrests and confiscating illegal mining machines and tools.
With illegal mining activities on the rise in the Florida area, specifically in Fleurhof, New Canada, and Jerusalema, Florida police conduct daily operations in a bid to eradicate illegal mining and curb these activities.
The operation was carried out by different parties, which included the National Defence Force, Crime Prevention Wardens, the police’s illegal mining operatives, residents associations and private security companies.
The Roodepoort Record joined the Provincial Vala Umgodi Operation led by Florida Police Station Commander Brigadier Amos Tsotsetsi, who is working hard to stabilise the illegal mining pandemic in local informal settlements.
The parties started their search differently this week – they occupied the outskirts of the informal settlement and tried to close all escape routes while they made their way into the heart of the settlement. Their main target was to search for places they received information about and arrest those engaged in illegal activities.
Many tools related to illegal mining were found hidden in deep holes full of water, under matrasses in shacks, and in municipal dustbins full of sand. They managed to arrest 20 illegal immigrants during the operation. The parties demolished mining centres and shacks the illegal miners (zama zamas) used to store tools and materials used in their illegal mining activities.
Tsotsetsi cited that more needs to be done by the local community to support Florida police in serving stemming the tide of illegal activity.
During their operation in Jerusalema, several tools used by illegal miners were confiscated.
According to Tsotsetsi, they find it difficult to catch these culprits as some community members are hiding illegal miners and sometimes alert them when the police and other involved entities are about to conduct their operations.
It is believed that illegal miners use the bushy and overgrown spots of the area to escape, and they normally hide in very dangerous areas to prevent police from chasing them.
