The South African Police Service (Saps) says officers will be deployed on a permanent basis in Sporong, after illegal mining violence forced hundreds of families to flee their homes at the informal settlement.
About 600 families of Sporong claim that heavily armed illegal miners (zama zamas) forced them to flee their homes after they threatened to kill residents of the informal settlement and kidnap their children.
Displaced residents
The displaced families are currently sheltering at Randgate Community Hall in Randfontein.
Minister of Police Firoz Cachalia, together with Gauteng Premier Panyaza Lesufi and the National Commissioner of Saps, General Fannie Masemola, visited the Sporong informal settlement near Randfontein on Wednesday.
The visit builds on Lesufi’s engagement with the community last week.
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Police protection
Police spokesperson Kamogelo Mogotsi said during Lesufi’s visit, short-term measures were implemented to stabilise the area.
“These included the deployment of nyalas and additional police officers to ensure the safety and security of residents.
“As part of longer-term interventions, nyalas and Saps members will now be deployed on a permanent basis. In recognition of the community’s vulnerability, night patrols will also be conducted by Saps members in collaboration with local community patrollers,” Mogotsi said.
‘Organised violence’
Earlier this month, the South African Human Rights Commission (SAHRC) condemned what it called the “wanton and organised violence” in Sporong.
SAHRC spokesperson Wisani Baloyi said they were “gravely concerned” by the reports of the forced displacement of the people from Sporong.
“This violence reflects a broader and deeply troubling pattern experienced by many mining-affected communities across South Africa at the hands of criminal mining syndicates.
“Such conduct constitutes a direct assault on the constitutional order and violates fundamental rights guaranteed in the constitution, including the right to life and the right to freedom and security of the person,” Baloyi said.
Investigations
The Commission’s Gauteng Provincial Office has opened an investigation into the matter on its own accord to ensure that alleged human rights violations are urgently addressed.
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