ActionSA leader Herman Mashaba has threatened to take legal action against Minister of Mineral Resources and Energy Gwede Mantashe.
Mashaba said on Tuesday that Mantashe has failed to address the rise of zama zamas and illegal mining in Riverlea, western Johannesburg and other parts of the country.
The ActionSA leader was responding to a letter Mantashe sent him in response to the initial letter that Mashaba had written to the minister demanding action over the alleged shooting by zama zamas in Riverlea.
Mashaba said instead of responding to his concerns on the illegal mining crisis, Mantashe decided to shift the matter to the police.
In a letter sent to Mashaba on Friday, which we have seen, Mantashe said his department is aware of reported cases of illegal mining and that it is working with law-enforcement authorities to deal with the scourge.
“There are several multi-disciplinary and intelligence-led operations that have been successfully undertaken,” the minister wrote.
“It should also [be] noted [that] with recent experiences in illegal mining, the scourge has become organised crime often led by sophisticated crime syndicates with gang shootings and other related crimes.”
He also wrote that law-enforcement agencies had successfully undertaken operations in seven provinces including in Western Cape and Eastern Cape.
Mashaba said Mantashe provided no plan regarding illegal miners, who are a cause of concern through threatening the communities they operate in.
“We are speaking to our legal teams about what can be done to force minister Mantashe and his department into action.
“For far too long communities such as Riverlea have been forced to live in fear as zama zamas are allowed to run rampant. The rise of zama zamas is another sign of the breakdown of the rule of law,” said Mashaba.
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