Shooting sparks mine riot
CHAOS broke out in Kimberley yesterday after scores of illegal diamond miners operating in Kenilworth and the Samaria Road area were injured in clashes with police and private security personnel during the execution of eviction orders.
Boshof Road, which is adjacent to where the illegal miners are operating, resembled a war zone around lunchtime yesterday after police fired rubber bullets and stun grenades into a large crowd of illegal miners who were on their way to lay a charge against Ekapa Mining security personnel, who allegedly shot one miner with rubber bullets in Greenpoint earlier in the day.
The miner, Cliff Kock, 51, was hit three times and was bleeding profusely when speaking to the DFA shortly after the incident in Greenpoint.
“I was walking with two other miners next to the Greenpoint boundary fence when two men, dressed in Ekapa security uniforms, opened fire and each shot four rubber bullets at us, while we were unarmed. I was hit three times,” Kock said.
Police spokesperson, Brigadier Mohale Ramatseba, confirmed the incident, saying that one illegal miner had been shot in the hand by mine security in Greenpoint after an altercation at around noon.
“The injured miner was rushed to a local hospital for medical treatment,” Ramatseba said.
The incident sparked outrage amongst the miners, who quickly gathered in Samaria Road and then moved in a large group, consisting of about 300 miners, to Boshof Road (R64) heading towards the Kimberley police station to lay a charge following the shooting of Kock.
They were met by about 20 members of the Public Order Police (POP), who attempted to stop them in their tracks.
The miners were, however, not backing off and marched for a further 100 metres before coming face to face with the police, who then opened fire with rubber bullets and stun grenades, forcing the miners to withdraw back into the veld.
From here, they started to throw stones at the POP members, but they were out of range and no injuries were reported.
As the miners gathered again and started to march towards the police station, POP members again responded by firing rubber bullets and stun grenades into the veld.
A police aircraft continuously circled the area during this time.
Several miners were injured during the altercation while others were arrested on the scene.
“Why are we not allowed to go to the police station,” the miners asked, accusing the police of being “in bed” with Ekapa Mining.
“We don’t want to fight, we want to lay charges against Ekapa security personnel who think this is the wild west, where you can just fire randomly at miners,” they added.
The R64 was littered with rubber bullet casings after the altercation and the road remained closed to motorists until late yesterday afternoon. Ramatseba said that nine suspects were arrested in connection with public violence following the incident.
“At Samaria, a group of about 300 illegal miners blockaded the R64 along the Boshof Road and police were pelted with stones. Police used rubber bullets to disperse the illegal miners. One person was shot with a rubber bullet and has been taken to a local hospital by an ambulance, where he is receiving medical treatment.
“Police have arrested nine suspects in connection with public violence,” Ramatseba said.
Meanwhile, at the Kenilworth mining settlement, busloads of private security personnel from Lethal Force and Interactive Security gathered to enforce the execution of eviction orders issued by the court against the illegal miners.
The private security personnel, dressed in bright orange overalls and armed with sjamboks, who stated that they were employed by Ekapa Mining, joined members of the police in moving into the informal settlement and also fired rubber bullets at miners, who retaliated by throwing rocks.
Members of the private security companies were also seen destroying and ransacking tents belonging to the miners, before being instructed by commanders to withdraw at around 3pm yesterday afternoon.
The illegal miners then blocked the dirt road leading into the Kenilworth settlement with a massive burning tyre.
They stated that the eviction orders were dropped into the veld from a police aircraft yesterday morning and that they were not properly served with an eviction order by hand by the sheriff of the court.
“There were no talks or discussions, these people just opened fire on unarmed miners, without asking any questions,” they said.
The illegal miners reiterated that they “won’t be going anywhere, even if it means paying with our lives”.
“We are not going anywhere. We are ready to die on this land. They think they scare us with their rubber bullets, but not even live ammunition will make us leave. This land is ours and we will continue to try and make a living off it as long as we live,” the miners said.
Ramatseba yesterday confirmed that police monitored the execution of eviction orders issued by the court to evict illegal miners in and around Kimberley and that the evictions were conducted at Greenpoint, Samaria and Kenilworth.
He added that the arrested suspects were expected to appear in the Kimberley Magistrate’s Court soon pending further police investigations.
Kimberley Ekapa Mining Joint Venture (KEM-JV) spokesperson, Gert Klopper, said yesterday that the partners in KEM-JV were “pleased to have been informed that the sheriff of the court executed the eviction order that was granted by the Northern Cape Division of the High Court, directing the eviction of illegal miners from its properties, subsequently upheld by the Supreme Court of Appeal and the Constitutional Court, on Thursday, April 5 2018”.
“We consider this to be a victory for the rule of law and it will allow KEM-JV to execute its business plan for the benefit of the community of Kimberley, without interference from parties conducting illegal activities,” said Klopper.
“KEM-JV reserves the right to take any necessary legal actions to prevent re-invasion of these properties by illegal miners.
“We are cognisant and appreciative of government’s attempts to create a regulated artisanal mining framework and environment. We remain committed to contributing to this process inasmuch as it is done without prejudice to our rights and does not jeopardise our ability to deliver on our commitments to our internal and external stakeholders,” Klopper concluded.