Africa-Press – South-Africa. Residents of Riverlea and the surrounding area threatened to take the law into their own hands if the police failed to permanently remove illegal miners (zama zamas).
Speaking during an Imbizo, which was called by Police Minister Bheki Cele on Friday, outraged residents ripped into the police.
They claim the police are cowards, who are too afraid to deal with zama zamas.
While locals welcomed the deployment of specialised units in the Zamimpilo informal settlement, many complained that this would not offer a permanent solution to the illegal mining problem.
A fuming Yvonne Ngidlana told Cele they had had enough of being terrorised by zama zamas.
Ngidlana asked how long the specialised units would be in the area, saying that, in other places where the same units had been deployed, the officers had left after only a few days.
“How long will the police be here? You did this in other areas where, a few days later, your police were gone.”
She highlighted the fact that schoolchildren were exposed to dead bodies on a daily basis.
“Zamimpilo must go. We are not going to have to solve this problem when Zamimpilo is here. We are not safe in our yards in Riverlea.”
Ngidlana warned that there was a gas pipe running under Zamimpilo, which could end up being very dangerous for locals.
“We are going to perish one day should illegal miners touch it. If you don’t remove Zamimpilo, we will do it ourselves,” she warned.
“We are sick and tired of this government that only comes running when there is a problem. After that, they run away, and we are left with the [unresolved] problem.”
Another resident, Nokuzola Qayede, told Cele he couldn’t win the war against illegal miners.
“Crime is rife in Zamimpilo. You won’t win this war. One day, we are going to be swallowed in our shacks. Some zama zamas dig inside their shacks.
“We won’t know what will happen if illegal miners return to Zamimpilo from where they fled. We have blind people who can’t hide when bullets are fired,” Qayede said.
Stephanie Palmer said the fatal incident that left illegal miners killed in Zamimpilo was minor compared to the war that raged in the area on 4 July.
“We were under siege for two-and-a-half hours. What happened last weekend was nothing compared to what happened on 4 July. When illegal miners hit one of the gas pipes under Zamimpilo, we will have an Armageddon,” she warned.
Patrick Jafta raised concerns about the Langlaagte police taking bribes from zama zamas.
Cele urged police in Langlaagte to respond when people in the area call for help.
“From Monday, we will send a team to establish why people complain about this police station. By Thursday, I will receive the report about this police station and discuss it with the community leaders,” Cele said.
The minister said they had arrested 194 zama zamas since Monday.
“We have taken their machinery. Communities have a role to play in this. Some zama zamas were found in your shacks. They are your neighbours. You must choose if you are fighting or supporting criminality.
“Give us proper facts about corrupt officers from Langlaagte (police station). We will change their blue uniform into orange overalls,” Cele promised.
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