ActionSA considering legal action following Minister Mantashe’s delayed written response

6 June 2023

ActionSA is considering legal action after receiving Mineral Resources and Energy Minister, Gwede Mantashe’s response to our letter demanding action over the Zama Zama shootings in Riverlea, Johannesburg.

Instead of taking accountability for his department’s failure to address the rise of Zama Zamas and illegal mining both in Riverlea and across South Africa, Minister Mantashe, in his written response, instead sought to refer responsibility to the South African Police Service (SAPS).

It has become clear that the only way we’ll get the ANC government and Minister Mantashe to respond to the pressing needs of our communities - where Zama Zamas go on shooting sprees amid turf wars - is if we force action through the courts.

ActionSA, a party which values the rule of law, believes that the rise of Zamas Zamas and their increasingly violent turf wars is because of the direct result of Minister Mantashe and his department’s failure to address illegal mining.

That is why we wrote to Minister Mantashe and Home Affairs Minister, Aaron Motsoaledi, at the beginning of May to demand action after Zama Zamas threatened the lives of community members in Riverlea.

In his response, he noted that Zama Zamas are operating illegally in South Africa, but he provided no plan or signs that he is committed to tackling the ongoing scourge both in Riverlea and across South Africa.

ActionSA believes that Minister Mantashe and his department should urgently set a plan in motion to address Zama Zamas after they failed to address their rise over the past decade.

We are therefore speaking to our legal teams about what can be done to force Minister Mantashe and his department into action.

For too long communities such as Riverlea have been forced to live in fear as Zama Zamas are allowed to run rampant. The rise of the Zama Zamas is another sign of the breakdown of the rule of law in South Africa, and ActionSA is committed to turning the situation around.

Issued by Herman Mashaba, ActionSA President, 6 June 2023