A large contingent consisting of a private security company Black Ant and law enforcement officers swooped into Jerusalema Informal Settlement near Florida in Johannesburg on Friday following a shootout alleged to be involving illegal miners which forced the residents to abandon their homes and seek refuge at Florida Police Station.
The residents, mostly women and children, sought shelter amid allegations that shacks belonging to illegal miners who are accused of terrorising the community were destroyed during the night in which sounds of machine gun fire were heard.
Police said about 30 people slept at the police station on Thursday night.
Most of the residents from Jerusalema refused to speak to the media for fear of being targeted by the heavily armed gangs of illegal miners operating in the area.
But a woman who slept at the police station with her nine-year-old granddaughter said they were tired of sleeping in fear and came to the police hoping they would sleep better.
“We went to ask for help at the police station because we don’t sleep in peace in our homes. Once it’s 8pm we have to switch off our light and we sleep in the dark,” she said.
The woman said on Thursday it got worse and they had to run away for their lives.
“The guns were so loud and it is not small guns, they make very loud sounds. You can tell they are big guns. We heard people died so we ran,” the visibly shocked woman said.
Joburg Mayor Kabelo Gwamanda said the City has embarked on a crackdown on alleged illegal miners and warned that Joburg won’t be turned into a war zone by lawlessness..
“We are going to roll-up our sleeves both as politicians and administrators and we are going to find an effective way of dealing decisively with this challenge,” he said.
Gwamanda said illegal mining activities are deterring investors and investment prospects because investors wanted safety and stability before they could plough their resources into any City.
Authorities led by Gauteng Commissioner General Elias Mawela raided the area last week, arrested scores of alleged illegal miners and seized equipment including phendukas and generators used in the unlawful harvesting of minerals.
Gauteng Police Spokesperson Colonel Dimakatso Nevhuhulwi said Operation Shanela, in collaboration with different law enforcement agencies, are regularly conducting operations in that area to disrupt illegal mining activities.
“Several suspects have been arrested in the past two weeks in the Florida area for contravening the Immigration Act, possession of gold bearing material, possession of unlicensed firearms and possession of suspected stolen property. The zama zama’s tools of trade such as phendukas and generators have also been seized,” she said.
“The police will continue to conduct operations together with all relevant stakeholders with the aim of combatting and disrupting illegal mining activities not only in Florida but at all affected districts in Gauteng; Ekurhuleni, West Rand, Sedibeng and Johannesburg.”
