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The DA urges the Minister of Police, Bheki Cele, to fulfil his promise to the Zama-Zama terrorised residents of Riverlea, and take action to ensure their safety. The residents of Riverlea have been hiding in their homes, as gunfire between rival illegal miner gangs fly overhead.

The Minister together with the National Commissioner of the South African Police Service, General Fannie Masemola, visited the Riverlea area of Johannesburg after the DA called for urgent government intervention. Their visit was filled with the usual promises to take action, and empty commitments to fearful residents.

The DA is committed to holding the minister to account, while creating an environment where Riverlea residents can live without fear of being gunned down. Since his appointment to his portfolio in 2018, Minister Cele has chosen to rush to crime scenes across the country while making populist promises and then vanishing. This, while he should be upholding his duties as outlined in section 206(1) of the Constitution.

Residents in Riverlea have resorted to barricading roads, because of a serious lack of departmental and government oversight into the issue of illegal miners. As the minister promised massive police deployments in the area, then left, we wonder if this is another commitment similar to ones he made in Diepsloot, that led nowhere.

The deployment of a handful of Tactical Response Team (TRT) members will not stop illegal mining syndicates, gangsterism, and rampant gun violence, more needs to be done in this regard. We are of the opinion that addressing these issues will take intelligence-driven police operations, accompanied by prosecution-led criminal investigations.

While promises may be made easily by Minister Cele, they are taken seriously by the DA. We have documented every promise he made during his visit and will ensure their enforcement. Heavily armed illegal miners have no place in our communities. The DA has warned national government that there will be bloodshed without their intervention. We now remind them of the bloodshed their inaction has already caused, perhaps that will put them into action.

Issued by Cllr Solomon Maila - DA PR Councillor for Ward 68