Riverlea residents welcomes intensified police operations on illegal mining

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Residents of Riverlea, West of Johannesburg and surrounding areas welcomed the intensified police operations on illegal mining, during a community engagement led by the police ministry on Friday.

The residents say their safety has improved since the specialised forces of the South African Police Service (SAPS) were deployed to the area to shut down illegal mining operations. 

The additional police deployment in the area has so far resulted in the arrest of over 190 suspects, majority of them are undocumented persons.

Police have since recovered scores of illegal firearms, ammunition, stolen property, explosives, gas cylinders and other tools commonly used during illegal mining activities.

Police minister Bheki Cele says these policing operations are but one part of the plan to end illegal mining. 

“Arresting illegal miners is not the solution to end this well funded and well organised crime. Police are on the ground to stabilise the area so that other departments can come in and work to permanently close off mines and also attend to some of the social issues that exist in this area that are drivers of crime.

“It is encouraging that the Hawks have arrested almost 90 suspects who police believe are the handlers of these Zama-Zama’s and are middle and top players in the web of illegal mining,” Cele concluded.

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Minister Cele has assured the residents of Gauteng affected by illegal mining and crime associated with the organised crime that lasting solution is on the horizon. 

Security Cluster Ministers are scheduled to further deliberate on Illicit mining in a meeting scheduled with President Cyril Ramaphosa this weekend.