The ANC in the greater Roodepoort region (zone 5) organised a peaceful protest march on Saturday, January 31, to deliver a memorandum of demands to the Roodepoort Police Station.

According to the zonal chairperson of the ANC, Siya Masiza, residents of Roodepoort are fed-up with the danger posed by the thousands of illegal miners that operate in the area.

“It has come to the point where there are shootouts in the streets of Roodepoort.

“We are not safe in our own communities and we don’t see the authorities taking decisive action to put a stop to this.

“It has been allowed to grow for years, and today we are sitting with a huge problem.

“They are vandalising our infrastructure causing endless problems in communities. We have roads collapsing, water infrastructure diverted to serve the zama zama operations and much more.

“Our people are not safe within their own communities.”

Masiza adds that it has come to a point where the community is ready to take matters into their own hands.

“It is a ticking time bomb and we need the authorities to step in and take decisive action to eradicate illegal mining.”

The memorandum is addressed to the police, the Department of Mineral Resources, and the Department of Community Safety.”

Marchers gathered in Van Wyk Street in the Roodepoort CBD and marched to the Roodepoort Police station, their route planned to pass in close proximity to known illegal mining sites.