Kagiso residents block roads as police act swiftly to calm protest over zama zamas

Anger over the recent Krugersdorp mass rape by alleged illegal miners led to residents of Kagiso on the West Rand taking to the streets on Thursday morning, vowing to shut down zama-zama camps in the area.

Calm was swiftly restored by police, who have been on the ground all week.

Gauteng police spokesperson Col Noxolo Kweza said: “Police have stabilised the situation and are currently monitoring the situation.” 

Earlier, a main road in the area and access routes to Kagiso were blocked off by protesters.

Since Friday, Gauteng police have arrested 130 suspected illegal miners around West Village in Krugersdorp in an operation launched to find suspects who gang-raped eight women during a music video shoot at a disused mine dump. 

Gauteng police spokesperson Brig Brenda Muridili said they have led multiple operations in efforts to clamp down on zama zamas and disrupt their operations.

“The team has arrested 30 undocumented people, bringing the total number to over 130 suspects that have been arrested since the province’s high level operations started on Friday July 29,” she said.

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