Community violence monitor at the Institute for Security Studies, Godfrey Mulaudi, says the violence seen in parts of Gauteng, particularly the West Rand, highlights the inability of the police to curb crime.
He was responding to protests in Mohlakenga on Gauteng’s West Rand, where some locals are burning down shacks believed to belong to foreign nationals who are in the country illegally.
Residents are calling for the illegal mines to be shut down completely. The reason for the violence was the recent gang-rape of eight women, allegedly by illegal miners, in nearby Krugersdorp.
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Mulaudi says when the cries of communities are ignored, lawlessness rears its head. “I am concerned about how the police are dealing with crime in the communities. As a result, communities feel they need to become vigilant to enforce the law without legal authority. What you see now is that the police see that they have no faith that the police will deal with a situation that has been going on for many years, caused by the recent raid.”
Last week, residents in several parts of the West Rand protested against illegal miners. The protests were mainly sparked by the rape of young models who were allegedly raped in the Krugersdorp area by illegal miners known as Zama Zamas.
The raid by locals on the abandoned mines started in Soul City, Kagiso on Thursday and spread to Munsiville on Friday.
VIDEO | Protesters burn down shacks believed to be illegal miners in Gauteng’s West Rand:
