194 suspected illegal miners nabbed in protest-hit Riverlea
Police Minister Bheki Cele has lauded the work done by law enforcement in protest-hit Riverlea, south of Johannesburg.
Cele spoke at an anti-crime Imbizo in the community on Friday.
Residents took to the streets on Monday after five people were shot dead at the weekend in violence between rival gangs linked to illegal miners in the area.
The violence prompted the deployment of specialised units.
Cele told residents at the imbizo that close to 200 suspects have been arrested since Monday.
"Out of those arrests, 170 of them are foreign nationals. We have confiscated gold-bearing material, generators, weed plantation."
Cele said ministers in the security cluster will meet with President Cyril Ramaphosa on Saturday to discuss the issue of illegal mining.
"When you spot the zama zamas call the police, and they will come, and we will not delay closing the used holes just because there are people that are underground illegally. They must find their way out. Our job is to close the mine because we did not send them there," he said.
Cele said police have also arrested 89 suspected illegal mining kingpins.
"Three months or four months ago, we arrested six of these guys who are the middle guys in Carltonville.”
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