Cele Confident That Police Can Deal With Zama Zamas, Human Trafficking and the Illegal Gold Market

• Police Minister Bheki Cele has complete confidence in the police and their ability to deal with zama zamas and illegal gold miners
• Cele linked the illegal gold trade to human trafficking and has instructed deputy national police commissioner Tebello Mosikili to increase the number of officers deployed
• Illegal gold mining cost the country an estimated R14 billion a year and has been under the spotlight following the violent attacks in Krugersdorp

KRUGERSDORP - Police Minister Bheki Cele has complete confidence in the police and their ability to deal with the scourge of illegal gold mining in South Africa.

Zama zamas, illegal gold miners, are a huge problem in South Africa and are linked, according to Cele, to human trafficking.

Cele wanted to know where the zama zamas were taking the gold and asked who benefits from their illegal activities.

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The police minister has instructed deputy national police commissioner Tebello Mosikili to increase the number of boots on the ground according to News24.

eNCA reported that Zama Zamas cost South Africa an estimated R14 billion a year according to Tracy-Lynn Field from Wits University.

Zama zamas have been thrust into the spotlight following the violent attack on the set of a music video that was being filmed in Krugersdorp.

Cele reassured people that the extra police officers on the ground will help with the crime in the area. He was addressing an imbizo in West Village in Krugersdorp on Saturday.

"It’s a hazardous area": Mogale City shutdown leaves 1 dead, SA reacts

Earlier, Briefly News reported that one person died during the shut down of Mogale City as residents in Kagiso clamp down on illegal miners in the area following the recent assault of eight women. Angry residents believe that the "zama zamas" are the cause of the high crime levels and plan to stop it.

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Community members believe that the crime and violence in the area have gone on for too long and that police have failed to intervene. During an interview with eNCA, angry residents say they want Police Minister Bheki Cele to step down.

“How did those zama zamas get to South Africa without papers? How did they get here? So you can see the borders and everything in South Africa is failing,” he wrote.

Source: Briefly News