South Africa: public meeting to calm violence against illegal miners
Audio 01:28
South Africans demonstrate their anger outside the Krugersdorp court on August 3, after the rape of eight women in a mine.
© Claire Bargelès/RFI
Text by: RFI Follow
2 mins
A public meeting was organized on Saturday August 6 in the western suburbs of Johannesburg, after several days of violence against the “Zama zama”, illegal miners exploiting abandoned mines in the area.
It is individuals among these communities who are accused of committing a gang rape that angered the country last week.
And since then, they have been the target of attacks by South Africans from neighboring townships.
The government therefore hoped to defuse tensions by giving residents a voice.
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With our correspondent in Johannesburg,
Claire Bargelès
Sibongile, 36, is one of hundreds of residents of the suburb of Krugersdorp who came to the public meeting to share their anger with the Minister of Police.
“
It gets really difficult here.
I'm even afraid to go alone to the store around the corner.
And when you go to the police to file a complaint, then nothing ever happens.
»
While he condemns the manhunt targeting
illegal, often foreign
, minors, the President of the South African Human Rights Commission, Bongani Majola, also criticizes the government for having done nothing to settle the problem of these abandoned mines.
“
We published a report in July 2015. We proposed to create laws to regulate how these minerals can be exploited, and to grant licenses.
This would also allow surrounding communities to benefit from these mines.
But the government never reacted to this report.
»
But beyond this tragedy, for Mervin, who lives in the neighborhood, the lack of efficiency of the police adds to a long list of frustrations which could create sparks.
“
Sooner or later, we will exceed what people can bear.
There is so much unemployment, crime, violence against women... All this is boiling, and it will eventually explode.
»
President Cyril Ramaphosa has promised to concentrate police efforts to shut down these illegal mines.
Government, represented by the South African Police Service and the Department of Mineral Resources and Energy, will convene an Imbizo with the community of #Kagiso over the weekend to interrogate issues of illegal mining and crime.#SocialSectorSummit https://t.co/ sAMac39LP2
— Cyril Ramaphosa 🇿🇦 (@CyrilRamaphosa) August 5, 2022
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To read also: A gang rape of eight women in a mine horrifies South Africa
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