Police say they have so far arrested 43 undocumented people for various crimes in Riverlea, south of Johannesburg since Tuesday.
This follows the deployment of the police’s Special Task Force after the death of five illegal miners near the Zamimpilo informal settlement on Sunday.
Their deaths have been blamed on an alleged turf war between rival illegal miners.
The shooting prompted a visit to the area by Police Minister Bheki Cele who promised the deployment of the task force.
The area has been plagued by an increase in violent criminal activity, due to illegal miners operating in the area.
Gauteng Police Spokesperson Brenda Muridili says, “The specialised forces that have been deployed have, as of the evening of 2 August, managed to arrest 35 undocumented persons; one person for possession of unlicensed firearm and ammunition, three people for common assault and four people for possession of suspected stolen property. The operations in the area will continue and the deployment will be in the area until illegal mining activities have been stabilised.”
VIDEO: On Monday, Riverlea residents protested against illegal mining:
