31 July 2023
A bullet hole in the kitchen window of Riverlea resident Nosipho Magubane from a stray bullet apparently fired in a zama zama turf war. Photo: Ihsaan Haffejee
Rivalry between groups of informal miners (zama zama) has led to residents of Riverlea in Johannesburg protesting against the violence they say it is causing in their suburb. On Monday, residents barricaded roads with burning tyres and rocks. Public order police monitored the scene.
The protest comes after the bodies of five miners were found by police on the weekend, and residents reported heavy gunfire in the neighbourhood. A turf war between rival gangs involved in illegal mining in the area is being blamed.
“We are prisoners in our own homes,” said resident Melanie Scheepers. “The war is no longer on the boundaries of our community; they are coming into our community and shooting at each other. Houses have bullet holes in them. What happened on Saturday night was the worst. It sounded like bombs.”
Residents say many of the miners live in Zamaphilo informal settlement, which borders on Riverlea, and that it has mushroomed in recent years.
During Monday’s protest people could be seen darting across Main Reef Road towards open mine shafts in full view of the police.
Residents have called on national government for help, and some for the army to be deployed, because they say local police lack the capacity to deal with the situation.
Michael Magubane, who lives opposite Zamaphilo, said the situation is unbearable. On Saturday evening, a stray bullet went straight through his kitchen window and embedded itself in a cupboard.
“If I was in the kitchen cooking I would have been shot,” said Nosipho, Magubane’s wife. “I just went and sat down in the lounge and prayed. I am still scared today.”
Community leaders say their pleas about illegal mining and the accompanying violence have been ignored for years.
“Basically we are under siege,” said Scheepers. “Every day from 5:30pm it starts. We hear gunshots so we basically have to be in our homes from [that time] every day.”
“It must be clear that they can’t come here and terrorise the community and the community stays in fear,” said police minister Bheke Cele as he addressed the Riverlea community late Monday afternoon.
Residents of Riverlea block Main Reef Road in Johannesburg.