In a shocking incident east of Johannesburg, nearly a dozen illegal miners, locally known as zama zamas, met tragic deaths following a police and military operation. The crackdown, which occurred near the Daggafontein Mine dump in the Gauteng province, was part of a larger effort to curb illegal mining activities.
Early Monday morning, the South African Police Service (SAPS) and the South African National Defence Forces (SANDF) launched Operation Vala uMgodi. During the operation, security forces reportedly set fire to reed grass surrounding a swamp where miners had hidden to evade arrest. Some miners were tragically killed by the blaze, while others drowned in the swamp, and additional miners were hit with rubber bullets as they attempted to flee the chaos.
In an official statement, Ekurhuleni police, responding to the incident, suggested the fire was started by “unknown individuals.” They described a frantic scene where illegal miners scattered in various directions upon seeing the police. Some of these miners ended up in a nearby dam, which was quickly engulfed in flames. Tragically, one man was pronounced dead at the scene, and eight others were hospitalized with various injuries, including burns; two of them remain in critical condition.
Amidst this chaos, a survivor recounted the harrowing moments to Scrolla Africa, describing the scene as reminiscent of a war movie. He credited his survival to his ability to swim, which allowed him to navigate through the muddy swamp that was more reeds than water. As the fire spread, some tried to shield themselves with jackets, floating towards safety, while others were not so fortunate.
This survivor also revealed a chilling indifference from the security forces, claiming that pleas for help were ignored, and no additional aid was sent to search for bodies in the swamp. This has led to community allegations that the security forces were responsible for the fire, prompting an investigation by the Independent Police Investigative Directorate.
This devastating event has stirred considerable unrest and sorrow within the community, as the exact number of casualties remains uncertain. Local news outlets have suggested that the death toll could be much higher, citing accounts from miners who were caught completely off guard by the operation.
The Zimbabwean embassy has reported that they were not informed of the incident, leaving many questions unanswered and a community in mourning. The tragic events have highlighted the extreme dangers faced by those involved in illegal mining and have ignited a debate about the measures used to combat this persistent issue.
Source: Newsday
