Four zama zamas dead, 15 others arrested after shootout with police
BOKSBURG – Four illegal miners have been shot and killed during a shootout with police on an open field in Boksburg, Ekurhuleni, early on Thursday morning.
Police said fifteen illegal miners, also known as zama zamas, were arrested.
Police spokesperson Lieutenant-Colonel Lungelo Dlamini said members of the SAPS and Ekurhuleni Metro Police Department (EMPD) were following up on information that explosives were being sold in the Boksburg area when the shootout ensued.
The explosives were allegedly used for illegal mining.
When police confronted the illegal miners about the claims, they opened fire at the officers, Dlamini said.
Dlamini said officers retaliated, killing four zama zamas. An EMPD officer was shot in the face and subsequently taken to hospital.
The miners have been charged with attempted murder, possession of illegal firearms and ammunition.
"They are also charged with illegal immigration, because it is suspected that some of these men might be Lesotho nationals," he said.
Police recovered four firearms from the scene.
Comments
The
content
you are trying to access is only available to subscribers.
If you are already a subscriber, you can Login Here.
If you are not a subscriber, you can subscribe now, by selecting one of the below options.
For more information or assistance, please contact us at subscriptions@creamermedia.co.za.
Option 1 (equivalent of R125 a month):
Receive a weekly copy of Creamer Media's Engineering News & Mining Weekly magazine
(print copy for those in South Africa and e-magazine for those outside of South Africa)
Receive daily email newsletters
Access to full search results
Access archive of magazine back copies
Access to Projects in Progress
Access to ONE Research Report of your choice in PDF format
Option 2 (equivalent of R375 a month):
All benefits from Option 1
PLUS
Access to Creamer Media's Research Channel Africa for ALL Research Reports, in PDF format, on various industrial and mining sectors
including Electricity; Water; Energy Transition; Hydrogen; Roads, Rail and Ports; Coal; Gold; Platinum; Battery Metals; etc.
Already a subscriber?
Forgotten your password?
Receive weekly copy of Creamer Media's Engineering News & Mining Weekly magazine (print copy for those in South Africa and e-magazine for those outside of South Africa)
➕
Recieve daily email newsletters
➕
Access to full search results
➕
Access archive of magazine back copies
➕
Access to Projects in Progress
➕
Access to ONE Research Report of your choice in PDF format
RESEARCH CHANNEL AFRICA
R4500 (equivalent of R375 a month)
SUBSCRIBEAll benefits from Option 1
➕
Access to Creamer Media's Research Channel Africa for ALL Research Reports on various industrial and mining sectors, in PDF format, including on:
Electricity
➕
Water
➕
Energy Transition
➕
Hydrogen
➕
Roads, Rail and Ports
➕
Coal
➕
Gold
➕
Platinum
➕
Battery Metals
➕
etc.
Receive all benefits from Option 1 or Option 2 delivered to numerous people at your company
➕
Multiple User names and Passwords for simultaneous log-ins
➕
Intranet integration access to all in your organisation