Some community members have called for permanent solutions to the crime and violence as a way to restore safety in illegal mining-hit Bekkersdal.
Image: Timothy Bernard / Independent Newspapers
The residents of Bekkersdal, west of Johannesburg, are grappling with renewed fears following another mass shooting incident believed to be linked to illegal mining activities in the area.
The latest incident, which occurred on Saturday afternoon, is reported to have left three people dead and one injured, with some residents calling for a long-term strategy to curb violence and crime in the area.
According to the Gauteng police, the latest shooting took place just after 5pm on Saturday, with police spokesperson Captain Tintswalo Sibeko saying the police are working around the clock to track down the suspects involved in the latest attacks.
As a result, stop and search operations have become the order of the day. The circumstances of this shooting are still sketchy, however Sibeko revealed that the police responded to a complaint of a shooting, and upon arrival at the scene, they found four victims with gunshot wounds.
"Three victims were declared dead at the scene, while the fourth victim is currently receiving medical treatment. The suspects fled the scene and no arrests have been made at this stage. The motive for the shooting is unknown," said Sibeko on Sunday.
The latest incident comes three months after the December 21 deadly shooting at the Kwanoxolo Tavern. This incident, claimed the lives of nine patrons,.
Armstrong Phozeni, a local community leader, voiced the frustrations of many residents who feel that the police response has been inadequate in curtailing the wave of violence.
"The police are here today because of the shooting. They were here in December, and things got better, but as soon as they left, things became worse. We also heard about the deployment of the army, but here, we did not see the army. All we want is for the police to be here in their numbers and continue these stop and searches as they make things better," Phozeni stated.
Andy Mashaile, a security strategist who has previous experience with the violence in the area, has called for the provincial government to re-establish a Joint Operating Centre (JOC) targeting crime and violence within the community.
"We need to re-establish a JOC structure that previously existed. This structure must have the police, JMPD, and intelligence operatives, because if we do not stop this thing, disaster and xenophobia are coming. We tried to control the previous madness of service delivery, and we implemented a structure that was able to stop looting. It stopped gang violence that was there," Mashaile stated.
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