At least 37 zama zamas were arrested during the police raids to root out illegal miners at the Zamipilo informal settlement,near Riverlea. Police nabbed 30 for being in the country illegally while others face various charges related to illegal mining.

STILL ON THE HUNT

Gauteng police spokesperson, Brigadier Brenda Muridili, said the police’s Elite Unit will remain in the area until illegal mining activities have been stabilised. She said police have confiscated illegal mining tools including pendukas, gas bottles and bags of gold-bearing sand, adding, â€?"Some of the illegal mining holes across the road from Zamimpilo are being closed by the municipality’s mechanical diggers”. Muridili said the hunt was to rid Riverlea of zama zamas and confiscate tools they use to refine gold.

FORCES ON THE GROUND 

Police Minister Bheki Cele, during the launch of Operation Shanela in Cape Town, provided an update on the situation in Riverlea. �"A day ago we were there at about 5pm and there were a lot of issues about the lack of forces on the ground. We did say we’ll be escalating but forces there were not enough. If you go there today, we’ve got 56 forces from different disciplines. We have the NIU, TRT, public order police and municipal officers. Since this morning, more than 20 zama zamas have been arrested,” he told reporters."