Thousands of angry residents in the South African town of Krugersdorp attacked a group of illegal miners with machetes, golf clubs and hammers after a gang-rape last week shocked the nation. The mob set fire to their camps in the town of Kagiso in Krugerdorp on Thursday and blocked roads with stones and burnt tires during a protest against the presence of the miners, who they blame for high levels of crime in the area. Some were stripped of their clothes and flogged by residents, while others were driven from their camps and beaten before handing themselves over to the authorities. Police kept their distance and fired stun grenades from a helicopter to disperse the crowds. “We want support from the police because the illegal miners are terrorizing us. We can’t just walk around the neighborhood at night because they rush us,” said protester Nhlanhla Felatsi. Eight models were raped on July 28 when a TV crew filming a music video in a mine dump in the nearby town of West Village was attacked by heavily armed men. Police Minister Becky Sele said informal miners – commonly known as “jama-jama” – were likely behind the shocking attack. Police and locals stand by alleged illegal miners known as ‘zama-zamas’ after residents shut down their camps due to mass rape [Reuters]
“Pull Their Socks Up”
More than 80 suspects appeared in court on Monday. Police said they are analyzing DNA evidence and investigating 32 cases of rape. However, residents accuse local authorities of inaction despite warnings that illegal miners were operating in the area as part of a larger crime scene. Krugersdorp, a mining town on the western edge of Johannesburg, is inhabited by armed gangs fighting for control of abandoned shafts to exploit any remaining gold. The trade is believed to be dominated by migrants entering illegally from the neighboring countries of Lesotho, Zimbabwe and Mozambique. “We’re not just fighting the racketeers, we’re fighting the whole crime. Our police must stand up, our police must pull their socks up,” said Kampelo Matlu, a local government official. The retaliatory attack by Krugerdorp residents comes at a time when South Africa is seeing a surge in xenophobic attacks sparked by locals who accuse foreigners of crime in their areas. South African President Cyril Ramaphosa has accused vigilante groups of harassing and attacking migrants, likening their behavior to strategies adopted by the apartheid regime to target black people.
