Johnathan Paoli
Police continue their clampdown on illegal mining with the arrest of hundreds of illegal miners at the Angelo Informal Settlement near Primrose in Germiston.
The operation which was initiated on Wednesday centered around the informal settlement of Angelo, which has been described as a safe haven for ‘zama zamas’.
Head of Ekurhuleni metro police, Jabulani Mapiyeye said that the mushrooming of informal settlements in the city has led to a significant increase in crime.
“It is a problem when we are having a large number of foreign nationals especially in the informal settlements because some of the roads are not easy to reach in those areas,” Mapiyeye said.
Acting Gauteng Police Commissioner, Tommy Mthombeni said illegal mining was part of a broader problem and not just a policing issue.
“When we catch illegal immigrants, like now, we have over 50 illegal immigrants. We want to see them being processed and after being processed, the deportation process must not take long,” Mthombeni said.
Earlier this year in July, 17 people died and at least 12 were hospitalised when suspected zama zamas mistakenly released nitrogen oxide into the atmosphere.
Residents of Angelo previously expressed frustration and said that policing was minimal in the area and accused the police of working with the suspected illegal miners.
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