Staff Reporter.
Protest action has erupted in Riverlea, Johannesburg a day after the bodies of suspected illegal foreign miners were discovered in the area.
Five men sustained fatal gunshot wounds, with police linking it to a shootout between two rival groups of illegal miners.
Gauteng police spokesperson Mavela Masondo says a preliminary investigation suggests the five people were killed during a shootout between two rival groups of illegal miners.
Masondo says police have deployed members from the Tactical Response Team and Public Order Policing to monitor the area.
The community of Riverlea has called on government to deploy more police and the army in the suburb to stem the spate violence.
One of the Riverlea resident Rheeanne Swarts said the violence is having a severe impact on their lives.
“Every day we must suffer with these people shooting. At night when we are sleeping they are walking in the streets with their guns. Anything can happen to us. Saturday 20 people were shot, now they are finding dead bodies.
“They found a dead body here by the robots. Somebody drove past and person was shot in the vehicle. So, we need a solution to this problem, this is a big problem, “Swarts said.
Johannesburg metro police’s Xolani Fihla has urged motorists to use alternative routes.
“The roads that are affected include Main Reef Road at the intersection of Commando and New Canada Road, Main Reef and Main Reef Road and Avon Street, Main Reef and Springbok Road, Pennyville on New Canada Road and Nasrec Road.”
Police Minister Bheki Cele was expected to visit the aggrieved community of Riverlea, West of Johannesburg in the afternoon.
Last month, the community of Diepsloot protested over the growing number of robberies and murders in the area, while lamenting the police’s commitment and capacity to deal with the problem.
In 2022, the minister deployed resources, which included members of the TRT, detectives and vehicles, to the area. However, community leaders – who were demanding the audience of President Cyril Ramaphosa while calling for a permanent solution to their service delivery woes – said not much had changed since then.
Compiled by Lehlohonolo Lehana.