Crackdown on illegal operations

THE CITY of Joburg’s consolidated efforts to crack down on illegal activities descended on the Matholesville community in Roodeport on the West Rand.

The SAPS, the Joburg Metro Police Department (JMPD), City Power and Joburg Water joined forces to end criminal operations in the area.

Matholesville is infamous for illegal mining operations. Police discovered illegal mining equipment, explosives and gold concentrate.

The intelligence-driven mission comes during a time when the City of Joburg is making a series of raids at hijacked buildings and slums around the city.

More than 226 shacks had been electrified illegally and four houses had illegal water connections. The water is allegedly used for illegal mining.

City Power and Joburg Water are both making concerted efforts to root out illegal connections.

“These illegal connections encourage the springing up of these slums and the exploitation of people as well as illegal foreigners.

“The water that citizens are paying for, half of it runs here for these illegal operations,” said Virgil James, spokesperson for the City of Joburg.

The Department of Home Affairs was also present to verify the citizenship of occupants in an effort to rid the city of illegal immigrants.

“This is a follow-up raid to an earlier operation done in January. This raid has been more successful than the previous one,” James said yesterday.

A number of arrests were made.