JOHANNESBURG – The Gauteng Provincial Legislature’s Portfolio Committee on Community Safety has backed the deployment of soldiers to the province to assist police in tackling illegal mining operations.
President Cyril Ramaphosa announced the South African National Defence Force (SANDF) deployment during his State of the Nation Address in Cape Town last week, which also included measures to address gang violence.
The committee described the intervention as a response to “highly organised criminal syndicates that have terrorised communities and undermined the rule of law”.
According to the committee, illegal mining has had a devastating impact on Gauteng communities. During a recent unannounced oversight visit to the Bekkersdal Police Station, members received reports of zama-zamas intimidating residents, committing violent crimes and holding communities hostage through fear.
More than 600 families were allegedly forced to flee their homes in Randfontein due to escalating violence linked to illegal mining activities. Displaced residents sought refuge in community halls.
“The committee reiterates that illegal mining is not a minor or isolated offence. It is an entrenched, organised criminal enterprise that endangers lives, destroys infrastructure, destabilises communities and erodes public confidence in the state’s ability to protect its citizens,” the committee said in a statement.
The committee said a multi-agency approach is required to confront the criminal activity, describing the SANDF deployment as a “critical and long-overdue intervention” that it has repeatedly recommended.
It expressed confidence that the action will strengthen law-enforcement operations, restore safety and stability in affected areas and send a message that criminality will not be tolerated in Gauteng.
The committee said it will closely monitor the implementation and impact of the SANDF deployment and remains committed to working with all spheres of government to ensure communities are able to live free from fear, violence and intimidation.
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