Following a tragic mass shooting at a pub in South Africa that left 10 dead, police have arrested 11 suspects, including illegal miners. Investigations continue into the firearms used in the incident.
International
-Sathish Raman
South
African
authorities
have
detained
11
individuals,
many
suspected
of
illegal
mining,
in
connection
with
a
deadly
pub
shooting
on
Sunday
that
resulted
in
10
fatalities.
The
arrests
occurred
during
a
raid
by
police
and
Sibanye-Stillwater
mine
security
on
two
residences
in
Westonaria,
located
46
kilometres
from
Johannesburg.
image
Following
a
tragic
mass
shooting
at
a
pub
in
South
Africa
that
left
10
dead,
police
have
arrested
11
suspects,
including
illegal
miners.
Investigations
continue
into
the
firearms
used
in
the
incident.
Among
those
apprehended
were
nine
Lesotho
nationals
and
one
Mozambican,
all
believed
to
be
residing
illegally
in
South
Africa.
The
police
discovered
unlicensed
firearms,
including
four
handguns
and
an
AK-47
rifle,
during
the
operation.
The
investigation
aims
to
determine
any
links
between
these
weapons
and
the
pub
shooting.
Illegal
Mining
Concerns
In
areas
west
of
Johannesburg,
such
as
Bekkersdal,
illegal
mining
activities
are
rampant.
These
regions
are
plagued
by
gang
violence
and
the
spread
of
unlawful
firearms.
The
mining
industry
once
flourished
here,
but
now
“zama-zamas,” or
illegal
miners,
dominate
the
trade.
This
illicit
activity
is
mainly
controlled
by
migrants
from
Lesotho,
Zimbabwe,
and
Mozambique.
Sibanye-Stillwater
has
several
major
operations
in
this
region.
The
company
is
actively
involved
in
efforts
to
curb
illegal
mining
activities
that
have
led
to
increased
crime
rates
and
violence.
The
recent
arrests
highlight
the
ongoing
challenges
faced
by
law
enforcement
in
tackling
these
issues.
Investigations
and
Charges
Maj.
Gen.
Fred
Kekana,
acting
provincial
commissioner
of
Gauteng,
reported
that
cartridges
and
live
ammunition
matching
those
found
at
the
Bekkersdal
shooting
scene
were
recovered.
These
items
have
been
sent
for
testing
to
ascertain
their
involvement
in
the
incident.
A
South
African
mine
worker
was
also
arrested
for
allegedly
harbouring
tenants
living
illegally
in
the
country.
This
individual
may
face
charges
related
to
obstructing
justice.
Additionally,
on
Tuesday,
authorities
charged
the
pub’s
owner
with
fraud
and
running
an
unlicensed
liquor
establishment.
The
situation
underscores
the
complex
challenges
posed
by
illegal
mining
operations
in
South
Africa.
Authorities
continue
to
address
these
issues
through
coordinated
efforts
between
law
enforcement
and
private
security
firms
like
Sibanye-Stillwater.
With
inputs
from
PTI
