South Africans have been calling for the SANDF to help police fight the scourge of crime, especially zama zamas (illegal miners).
Joining the calls for the deployment of the army was Gauteng Premier Panyaza Lesufi, who said the province was under siege.
The Department of Mineral Resources said recently that illegal mining had cost the economy and mining sector around R49 billion.
“Finally there is a clear commitment from the highest office in our country; I presented that on behalf of the ANC. Not only the army, we need all law enforcement agencies, the army, police, metro police to ensure that we protect South Africans. Gauteng is under siege from people that are not citizens of this country, people that can't be accounted for, people highly armed. They must go down there flush out those people down there,” said Lesufi,
He said some areas had become no-go areas because of the fear of zama zamas.
The chief of the SANDF, General Rudzani Maphwanya, said that, if requested, they would respond to the call to fight the scourge of crime and zama zamas.
“We are today as the country grappling with issues of zama zamas and crime that is committed in our backyards. I want to reiterate today that the SANDF had taken note of all that mayhem and we have promised that, as we are currently planning together with other state agencies, we will go out there and flush them out of those holes. We will not give them any chance, we will take them out of our townships and we will make sure that our people are safe. Our soldiers are always ready to deploy. We have indicated that we are not going to wait, we will prepare, and should that call come we will go and flush them out like rats out of the holes,” said Maphwanya.
This month police, the Johannesburg Metro Police Department (JMPD) and MMC for Public Safety Mgcini Tshwaku, conducted mining raids and operations across the city to try to bring illegal mining to an end. There had been instances where the zama zamas opened fire on police, and one miner was killed.
Authorities raided a tunnel under the City of Joburg which they believed zama zamas might be using as their headquarters. They recovered illegal assault rifles, explosives, food, gas cylinders, generators and other materials used in illegal mining.
“We assembled all the special forces within the JMPD made up of the undercover unit, K9 unit and Pops, we said there are no riots now. We formed a unit saying we are going to look for these guys and we went to Riverlea, we found some zama zamas while others went to hide inside holes. We were not only targeting Riverlea but all identified hotspots including Durban Deep and Jerusalema near Mainreef. We found a big mine with very lucrative gold. The SAPS have never been where we believe is the headquarters. I was nearly arrested by the so-called ‘national task unit’, apparently saying there was going to be an operation. I told them that this is my scene now,” said Tshwaku in an interview with a broadcaster.
He said they caught the zama zamas by surprise – some were relaxing, others were cooking.
“We had undercover units and drones who reported that the zama zamas were there. We chased them, we entered the holes and injured one while others ran and hid inside holes,” he said.
It is suspected that the zama zamas may be responsible for a number of earthquakes taking place in Gauteng as they use dangerous weapons such as explosives and high-calibre rifles when digging holes, and sinkholes have formed.
Zama zamas have been known to have survived underground for months in their quest to extract precious minerals. Some have died in battles with rivals who rob others of what they have extracted.
One zama zama from Lesotho identified as Paballo, speaking in an informal documentary, said he had made more money in two years underground than he would in a lifetime back at home.
“I have managed to buy myself a house and I am able to pay for other things that are needed at home,” said Paballo.
Other zama zamas said they had managed to make R20 000 to R45 000 in just two weeks working underground.
North West police and Hawks arrested 30 zama zamas at the Scott Shaft in Stilfontein at the weekend.
Police confiscated firearms, ammunition, unwrought precious metals, food, medicine and gold-refining paraphernalia.
President Cyril Ramaphosa’s spokesperson, Vincent Magwenya, was not available to comment on whether the president would deploy the army.
The suspects appeared at Stilfontein Magistrate’s Court today.
NPA North West spokesperson Henry Mamothame confirmed that the suspects would next appear in court on Thursday for a bail application.