The women and children of Jerusalema, an informal settlement, had to seek refuge at Florida police station in West Rand on Thursday night after a shootout between zama zamas left them terror-stricken. This happened a few hours after the police and Johannesburg Metro Police clamped down on illegal miners in the neighbouring Solplaatjie informal settlement, in Roodepoort.
One of the women who slept at the police station said she has been staying in Jerusalema for over a decade and that what she's experiencing now is not normal. "Yes, we have crime in the area but what is happening now is terrifying," she said adding that she doesn't sleep at night. "Come 8 pm, everyone has to switch off their lights so that it seems like there is no one because you end up being a target," she said. She added that the zama zamas don't use normal guns but high caliber machines. " As you can see, I sleep on the floor, I'm sure you noticed outside my shack that there are huge rocks stacked up around it. It's for protecting myself in case they shoot in my direction. This is not what we're used to and it's not the acts of our community members but those from Zamimpilo, near Durban Deep," she said.
On Friday, the JMPD as well as private security companies, raided Jerusalema and demolished shacks belonging to zama zamas and confiscated their tools of trade. The MMC for public safety Mgcini Tshwaku confirmed that he responded to a call on Thursday night from distressed women and children who needed a place to sleep because their kasi had turned into a war zone. "The operations are ongoing as we will not tolerate people forced to live in fear because of illegal miners. So far we have seized phendukas and explosives which will be processed by the SAPS," he said. The Executive Mayor of the City of Johannesburg Thapelo Gwamanda said it was important for the city to put a squeeze on zama zamas. " We cannot allow our residents to continue living in fear longer than they already have. Joburg is also an economic hub so we have to ensure that all interests are safeguarded. We will get rid of illegal miners one way or the other. "
