The Gauteng Provincial Legislature’s Portfolio Committee on Community Safety has welcomed President Cyril Ramaphosa’s decision to deploy members of the South African National Defence Force (SANDF) to Gauteng and other affected parts of the country to combat illegal mining and violent criminal networks known as zama zamas.
The intervention, announced during the State of the Nation Address in Parliament last week, signals the seriousness of the crisis and the urgent need for a coordinated, forceful response to dismantle criminal syndicates that have terrorised communities and undermined the rule of law.
The Committee has repeatedly raised concerns about the devastating impact of illegal mining across Gauteng. During a recent unannounced oversight visit to Bekkersdal Police Station, members received disturbing reports of zama zamas intimidating residents, committing violent crimes and holding communities hostage through fear and lawlessness.
Reports that more than 600 families were allegedly forced to flee their homes in Randfontein due to escalating violence linked to illegal mining — with displaced residents seeking refuge in community halls — have further heightened alarm.
The Committee reiterated that illegal mining is not a minor offence but an organised criminal enterprise that threatens lives, destroys infrastructure and destabilises communities.
Chairperson Bandile Masuku said the deployment marks a decisive shift in tackling the crisis.
“Illegal mining has evolved into a highly organised criminal syndicate that terrorises communities and undermines the rule of law. The deployment of the SANDF is a critical and long-overdue intervention that will strengthen law-enforcement efforts and help restore safety and stability in affected areas.”
The Committee has consistently maintained that conventional policing alone is insufficient and that a more aggressive, multi-agency strategy is required to root out illegal mining networks.
It expressed confidence that the deployment will boost law-enforcement capacity, restore safety in affected areas and send a clear message that criminality will not be tolerated in Gauteng.
The Portfolio Committee on Community Safety will closely monitor the implementation and impact of the deployment and remains committed to working with all spheres of government to ensure that communities can live free from fear, violence and intimidation.
The Congress of the People (COPE) leadership has also supported the deployment but emphasised that it should be viewed as a temporary stabilisation measure rather than a long-term solution.
The party called for:
Full reform and professionalisation of the South African Police Service (SAPS)
Immediate removal of corrupt officers and commanders
Securing and militarising national borders
Establishing specialised anti-gang and anti-cartel units with stronger authority
Political accountability at the highest level
COPE spokesperson Pakes Dikgetsi said decisive institutional reform is needed.
“We refuse to normalise lawlessness. South Africans deserve a government that governs, not one that reacts only when the country is already burning.”
The party vowed to continue demanding institutional reform and uncompromising action against criminal networks that have hijacked communities.
https://meet.google.com/call?authuser=0&hl=en-GB&mc=KAIwAZoBFDoScGludG9fM2U0NTNnY2tid2x5ogE7GgIQADICUAA6AhABSgQIARABWgIIAGoCCAFyAggBegIIAogBAZIBAhABmgEEGAEgAKIBAhAA4gECCACyAQcYAyAAKgEwwgECIAHYAQE&origin=https%3A%2F%2Fmail.google.com&iilm=1771262362212
