Man lives in fear of zamas after wall collapses

Very strong winds blowing on October 21 destroyed the backyard wall of Jabulani Zulu, who is now living in fear due to the imminent exposure to illegal miners.

The powerful gusts destroyed a significant portion of the wall.

Zulu, who has resided in the area since 2020, described the harrowing experience to the Roodepoort Record during a recent visit.

“The wind picked up at about 18:00 that day. I heard strange sounds but didn’t investigate. My neighbour alerted me via text that my back wall had collapsed.”

The collapsed wall has created easy access to Zulu’s yard, which is situated near a notorious hotspot for illegal mining. He now fears that he and his neighbours are vulnerable to break-ins and potential violence.

“I immediately moved my wife and kids to their grandmother’s house for safety,” Zulu said. “I’m worried that the illegal miners could jump in and break into my house or my neighbour’s.”

“Since I moved in here in 2020, the illegal mining activities have been terrible. The sounds of gunfire, police raids, explosions, fire, or smoke are normal here. I’m currently unemployed, and I don’t have the means right now to fix the wall,” he says.

“If there’s any community forum, residents association, or anyone that would like to assist with bags of cement and other few building materials, I would appreciate the effort.”

Illegal mining activities are rife in the West Rand, and police are always conducting operations that are focused on dismantling these activities.

For more information you can contact Jabulani on 078 268 7131