Johannesburg - An alleged war over mining territory in Daveyton, Ekurhuleni, has claimed the lives of five men, allegedly at the hands of a rival gang.
The decomposing bodies of the illegal miners – known as zama zamas – were found on Wednesday with gunshot wounds at the top of a mine dump, a short distance from the shaft they are believed to have been illegally mining from.
The zama zamas break into abandoned mines or disused mining tunnels to remine those areas for gold.
Police had cordoned off the mountainous and sandy crime scene, which was heaped with litter. A heavy police contingent was stationed at the site, ensuring that passers-by did not contaminate any evidence.
The police’s investigation and K9 unit were also seen combing the cordoned-off area for clues.
A police official, who did not want to be named, said the bodies were already decomposing.
“The bodies were found in a bad state, lying alongside each other. Some of their body parts have turned blue already.”
The official said it was likely the men were shot and killed after they emerged from the shaft. Their bodies were then believed to have been dragged to the top of the mine dump.
“There is a trail of blood from the bottom of the shaft to the top. Takeaway containers that appear to be reasonably new were also found near the shaft, which shows some sort of activity.”
SAPS spokeswoman Lieutenant-Colonel Katlego Mogale said police found the bodies after one of the dead men’s co-workers informed them about what happened.
The man said he and five others were allegedly kidnapped by the rival gang on Friday. He escaped and reported to the police that the rest of the men had been shot and killed.
Mogale confirmed that the murders were believed to have been linked to illegal mining in the area and that a rival gang might be responsible.
“Cases of murder and attempted murder have been opened, and we are appealing to the public to come forward with any information,” she said.
In a similar incident in February, five illegal miners were also shot and killed, allegedly by a rival gang. Their bodies were found on the side of the N12 in Daveyton, close to where the five miners’ bodies were found on Wednesday.
Captain Tsekiso Mofokeng of the Gauteng provincial police said at the time that a fight had erupted between two groups of illegal miners the night before. The next morning, one of the illegal miners informed the police of what happened. Five people have since been arrested.
The Star