Aggrieved Kagiso residents in the West Rand have blamed the police for the death of a person who was killed during a protest against illegal mining activities in the area.
This after dozens of community members took to the streets early on Thursday morning and barricaded the roads with rocks and rubble. They also closed off entrance and exit points with burning tyres, affecting schooling and healthcare facilities.
The protesters, who want foreign illegal miners out of the township, said the police opened fire on them without any provocation. Part of their concern is that foreign illegal miners, heavily armed with firearms and other dangerous weapons, have turned the area into a crime hotspot.
As the protest continued, some people believed to be the illegal miners were seen being dragged naked out of their shacks by the protesters, who have vowed to take the law into their own hands.
News emerged on Friday last week that eight women were gang-raped after a group of armed men believed to be illegal miners accosted them while they were shooting a video at a mine dump in West Village. The brutal rapes happened on Thursday last week.
Police have since carried out raids in the area and over 60 people were arrested on Friday and Saturday alone. The suspects appeared in court on numerous charges this week and were remanded back in custody.
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