Six bodies discovered near highway
THE police have opened a case of six counts of murder following the discovery of six bodies of suspected illegal miners along the N1 highway near Bosmont in Gauteng yesterday morning.
The bodies, which were scattered in three separate locations, were recovered by the police and members of the forensics team who are now investigating the circumstances that led to the shooting.
Police officers, forensic pathologists, Gauteng traffic police and the Joburg Metro Police Department were at the scene all morning yesterday, combing the area for evidence.
Speaking to the media, Gauteng police spokesperson Brenda Muridili said the six people were thought to be illegal miners. She said their bodies were riddled with multiple gunshot wounds.
“We have yet to determine the motive for the shooting and the nationalities of the victims, but for now we suspect that the victims were involved in illegal mining, which is rife in the area,” Muridili said.
The deaths of the miners come a month after the police promised to close down some of the illegal mines used by “zama zamas” or illegal miners in the area.
In July there was a national outcry after eight young women filming a music video were raped, allegedly by a group of illegal miners.
Meanwhile, the nearby community of Bosmont has raised concerns about illegal mining activity and gunshots in the area.
Armed with rifles, illegal miners operating around Bosmont Cemetery and nearby areas have made it difficult for the community to walk through the cemetery, which takes them to Highgate China City and other areas.
The situation is even worse for families that visit the graveyard to do their rituals as they sometimes become targets for robbery and rape.
These concerns were revealed by various community members from Bosmont, who spoke of the terror brought by illegal miners fighting among each other, almost daily.
A prominent community member, John Jantjies, who also patrols Bosmont, said following the gunshots he immediately called the police yesterday, as he did at the weekend, and the police came to patrol the area. However, as soon as the police left, the gunshots resumed.
“We are in constant fear of the illegal miners who have made Bosmont Cemetery inaccessible to members of this community. We are unable to visit the cemetery as a result of their presence, as they are armed,” Jantjies said.