Gauteng province has allocated more than 450 soldiers to tackle the rising scourge of illegal mining and gangsterism, Premier Panyaza Lesufi revealed on Monday night.
Lesufi made the announcement during the State of the Province Address (SOPA) at the Nasrec Expo Centre in Johannesburg.
Earlier this month, President Cyril Ramaphosa announced that the South African National Defence Force (SANDF) would be deployed to Gauteng to assist law enforcement in tackling illegal miners, known locally as zama zamas.
The deployment follows the forced displacement of more than 600 people from the Sporong informal settlement in the West Rand by illegal miners.
Lesufi said the army has already been sent to Sporong and other identified hotspots for illegal mining.
“Madam Speaker, illegal mining has reached intolerable levels in our province. Over 600 families have been targeted, and we see these attacks occurring across the province,” he said.
He said the perpetrators are heavily armed and threaten women and children.
“In some instances, residents have fled their homes due to violent attacks and threats. The ongoing illegal mining affects communities in West End, Ekurhuleni, Johannesburg and the Silibenk District.”
“Dangerous syndicates use high-calibre weapons, including AK-47s, to take over illegal mining sites.”
Lesufi said the government aims to put a stop to this terror. “We welcome the decisions taken by the President, and I want to announce that we have allocated over 450 soldiers to assist us in stamping out illegal mining and rising gang violence in our province.”
“We urge the President to keep these soldiers for a long period so that our communities can be safe.”
Acting Police Minister Professor Firoz Cachalia confirmed that the National Commissioner of the South African Police Service (SAPS) and the Chief of the SANDF have finalised a deployment plan, set to begin within 10 days and now including the Eastern Cape.
Cachalia made the announcement during a joint sitting of the National Assembly and National Council of Provinces last week on Tuesday, where MPs debated Ramaphosa’s recent State of the Nation Address (SONA).
He praised the SANDF deployment to Gauteng and the Western Cape to assist in combating organised crime and illegal mining and confirmed it would extend to the Eastern Cape.
“I can confirm that the National Commissioner of SAPS, General Fannie Masemola, and the Chief of the SANDF, General Rudzani Maphwanya, met yesterday to finalise the deployment plan, which will begin within the next 10 days and include the Eastern Cape,” Cachalia said.
He emphasised that the deployment strategy would draw on lessons from both South African and international experience, respect the mandates of the SAPS and SANDF, and adhere to the Constitution, with the goal of restoring calm and preventing further killings.
Cachalia said he had requested Masemola to take additional steps to strengthen Anti-Gang Units and deploy further specialised units, with a report expected soon.
“It will also be critical to strengthen intelligence-driven approaches to dismantle the networks behind organised crime,” he said.
IOL Politics
Get your news on the go. Download the latest IOL App for Android and IOS now.
Simon Majadibodu
iol.co.za
