The bolstering of anti-crime Operation Prosper, with South African National Defence Force (SANDF) deployment by President Cyril Ramaphosa, has been criticised by some South Africans.
Ramaphosa this week authorised the deployment of 3 300 members of the SANDF to assist the SAPS to conduct intensified anti-criminality operations against illegal mining across all provinces.
Across the country, there are 6 100 derelict and ownerless mines.
Some of these mines are old and the owners cannot be traced. There are 1 170 mine openings nationally and in Gauteng there are 518.
Mining expert David Van Wyk said the country was reactive instead of being proactive.
“I don't think that this is the answer; the Mineral Resources Department is constantly not doing what it should be doing. Now the whole thing is shifted to the Safety and Security cluster.
“The problem is that we have got are over 6 000 abandoned mines; 3 000 soldiers: that means one soldier per every two mines. I don’t think the numbers add up,” Van Wyk said.
He said he did not see the army going underground with “these guys (zama zamas)” everywhere.
“There is so much more that we could do with abandoned mines, which should have not been abandoned from the first place. If DMR did its work over the years, they wouldn't be a single abandoned mine.
“They would have been re-purposed, resulting in job creation. That could have included communities and created (a stable) environment. We always react instead of being proactive in this country; that's a problem,” he said.
Van Wyk said there was a R50 billion mine closure fund, but the problem with DMR was that simply put concrete slabs over the top which are easily accessed. There is no proper rehabilitation, he added.
“All the old mining sites look like they've been in a war in Ukraine. The mine sites had good road, electricity, training, housing infrastructure; all of that is gone,” he said.
Van Wyk said if one went through Main Reef Road in mining towns, there were informal settlements which was bad.
“As the soldiers are being deployed, mining companies are retrenching thousands of workers. Where do you think those workers are going to go? They don’t know any other skills than mining (and) they might or not get their UIF or pension. They are simply going to end up in the informal settlement right next to the mine and they are going to go down again,” Van Wyk said.
The deployment is between October 28 2023 until April 28 2024.
Spokesperson for the president, Vincent Magwenya, said the expenditure expected to be incurred for this deployment amounted to R492 143 296.
This deployment follows hundreds of South Africans pleading with Ramaphosa to bring in soldiers to help fight brazen criminals who terrorise citizens.
Heinous crimes, especially against women, had been seen where zama zamas allegedly gang-raped eight young women in Krugersdorp who were shooting a music video.
This crime shocked the country, prompting civil society, politicians and ordinary South Africans calling for the army to assist police.
Police said communities had an important role to play in combating organised crime and illegal mining. Communities had a responsibility to expose illegal miners and report them to law enforcement agencies.
“Moving towards the 2024 national and provincial elections, the JCPS Cluster will confront all threats to national security with the sole objective of protecting our constitutional democracy,” said SAPS national spokesperson, Brigadier Athlenda Mathe.
X user Lerato Pillay wrote: “This really has no impact if we are still harbouring illegal immigrants on our shores. ANC simply doesn't want to fight crime – possibly they are part of it and are benefiting from the criminal acts of these illegal immigrants.”
Another user, Zweli Dlomo Kumkani, wrote: “First things first! 100% support Dr Aaron Motsoaledi and the military to beef up border controls. Protect all key points, key infrastructures, CIT robberies, zama zamas, drugs and weapons syndicates, illegal immigrants, crime! But that number is too small to attend all over 4K wards in South Africa.”
The Star