SIYABONGA SITHOLE
Johannesburg - Police have opened a case of six counts of murder following the discovery of six bodies of suspected illegal miners near Maraisburg highway off-ramp yesterday morning.
The bodies which were scattered in three separate locations were collected by the police and members of the forensics team who are now investigating the circumstances that led to the shooting.
Police officers, forensic pathologists, Gauteng traffic police and the Joburg Metro Police Department were at the scene all morning yesterday, combing the area for more bodies and clues.
Speaking to the media, Gauteng police spokesperson Brenda Muridili said the six people were suspected to be illegal miners and their bodies were riddled with multiple gunshot wounds.
“We are yet to determine the real cause of the shooting and the nationalities of the victims but for now we suspect that the victims were involved in illegal mining which is rife in the area.
“As you can see, the police team and members of the forensic and pathology services and the K-9 Unit are still combing the scene for clues as to the cause of their deaths,” Muridili said.
“We have however opened a case of six counts of murder and it is only then that we will be able to determine the cause of the shooting and the nationality of the victims,” she said.
The deaths of the miners come over a month since police promised to close down some of the illegal mines used by zama zamas in the area.
In July there was a national outcry after eight young women filming a music video were raped allegedly by a group of zama zamas.
Muridili said the police would be investigating six counts of murder and motive will be determined during the course of the investigation.
Meanwhile, the nearby community of Bosmont has raised concerns about the illegal mining activity and gunshots in the area.
Armed with rifles and other heavy ammunition, illegal miners operating around Bosmont Cemetery and nearby areas have made it difficult for the community to walk through the cemetery which takes them to Highgate China City and other areas.
The situation is even worse for families that visit the grave yard to do their rituals as they sometimes become targets of robbery and rape by the illegal zama zamas in the area.
These concerns were revealed by various community members from Bosmont who spoke of terror brought by illegal miners fighting among each other almost on a daily basis.
A prominent community member, John Jantjies who also patrols Bosmont, said following the gunshots, he immediately called the police like he did at the weekend and the police came to patrol the area. However, as soon as the police left, the gunshots resumed.
“We are in constant fear of the illegal miners who have made the Bosmont cemetery inaccessible to members of this community. We are unable to visit the cemetery as a result of their presence as they are armed with some of the biggest guns.
“They are there from morning till night time and one day I was forced to chase some of them away when they pointed guns at two ladies who had visited the cemetery to clean the grave yard. This place has become a war zone and the community is not safe and these zama zamas are relentless,” Jantjies said.
More and more community members who spoke to the media detailed their suffering at the hands of illegal miners who have made the area a war zone. It is reported that the gunshots last night began just after 6pm with other community members saying the shooting continued until after 9pm.
Rene Merle said things had become worse in the past year with shootings happening almost every night with Thursdays and Fridays being the worst days of the week for the community.
The Star