Daily Sun (10 September 2015) - THE BATTLE for the gold dust in abandoned mines has been raging for many years.
In this latest flare-up of violence and bloodshed, 19 people have been confirmed dead – but the body count is bound to rise.
AND STILL THERE IS NO END IN SIGHT TO THE ONGOING ZAMA ZAMA WAR.
Residents of Gugulethu and Everest squatter camps near the mining town of Springs, Ekurhuleni said they feel very little sympathy for the illegal miners who, they claim, have been terrorising them for years.
“It is good that they are taking each other out,” said a resident, Daniel Zondo. “These people have been killing us and robbing us and none of them ever get caught.” Community leader Xelani Mngomezulu said the fighting started in Everest on Friday when members of the Basotho Gang started killing each other.
Four men were killed. Then the fighting spread to the bush and more men were killed in gun battles and hand-to-hand fighting.
On Tuesday, police collected the bodies of 10 Basotho gang members who were still wrapped in their traditional blankets.
When Daily Sun visited the scene there were empty bullet shells lying everywhere along with other tools of war like rocks and steel pipes.
Gauteng police spokesman Tsekiso Mofokeng said most of the bodies were riddled by bullets while others had been beaten to death with stones. A huge, bloodied rock lay on the road in Bakerton, Springs.
People who live in the area of the old Grootvlei Mine said Tuesday night was the worst of their lives. “We had to sleep on the ground to avoid being struck by stray bullets,” said a resident. “It was like a battlefield with the sound of gunfire in my ears. I even soiled myself.”
Another resident described the men as heartless. “Spilling blood means nothing to them,” she said. Police said the killing could be related to gang fights among the illegal miners.
They confirmed that at least 15 suspected illegal miners have been killed. “Police have been sent to the area to deal with the situation and prevent a possible clash among the groups suspected of being foreigners involved in illegal mining,” said Mofokeng. The victims have not yet been identified and no one has been arrested.
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