Primrose residents fear zama zama turf wars and gun battles

Residents of Primrose Hill and surrounding areas in Germiston are living in fear due to frequent gun battles between rival groups of illegal miners fighting for control of territory.

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A few days ago, a 16-year-old boy and a security guard were injured during a shoot-out between rival groups at a landfill site in the area.

Boy injured as zama zama rival groups clash in Primrose Hill

Tracy Enslin, Primrose Community Policing Forum chair, said the boy was playing with friends in a park when a stray bullet from the nearby dump site struck him in the leg.

“He is recovering in hospital, while the security officer is still in a critical condition in hospital,” said Enslin.

She said several houses in nearby residential areas were riddled with bullets fired during clashes over a mining shaft.

Enslin called for the long-term deployment of the SA National Defence Force (SANDF) to help address illegal mining and the violence associated with it.

Residents have repeatedly raised concerns with the relevant authorities, but there has been little change.

“We need the army in here for a minimum of three months. That would give the council a chance to close these holes and help move the zama zamas out of the area,” Enslin said.

Residents called for long-term deployment of SANDF

She urged the government, municipality and police to work together to address illegal mining, gun violence and deteriorating safety conditions.

Shoot-outs between rival groups reportedly occur three to four times a week. The clashes are linked to turf wars over a lucrative shaft at the Simmer and Jack mine dump.

“It’s local zama zamas and people from the Jumper’s informal settlement who are coming here and fighting for territory.”

According to Enslin, the groups use assault rifles, including AK-47s, and handguns during the clashes. She estimated that as many as 200 to 300 rounds could be fired within five minutes during some incidents.

One resident, who asked not to be named, said people were forced to take cover inside their houses when gunfire erupted.

A landfill site in Ekurhuleni, where illegal miners work. Picture: Nigel Sibanda

The last shoot-out lasted five hours.

Last shoot-out lasted five hours

“Can you imagine having to lie on the ground for five hours? Your children still have to go to school the next day. We regularly find AK-47 shell casings in our streets and sometimes in our yards. We also pick up a lot of shotgun casings,” the resident said.

Enslin said most shootings occurred between 5pm and 5.30pm and could continue late into the evening.

One particularly alarming incident occurred during the day in March 2024, when illegal miners allegedly ran into a school while pupils were in class.

The school evacuated pupils to protect them from the violence.

The illegal mining activities have also affected municipal services and damaged infrastructure.

Enslin said one of the roads in the area collapsed after repeated underground blasting.

Road collapsed after repeated underground blasting

She said blasting at illegal mining sites along Lower Main Reef Road had destabilised the ground, causing numerous holes to appear.

“I was walking on the ground and I fell through it. The underground tunnels and unstable ground pose danger to residents.”

She added that the blasting also caused tremors resembling minor earthquakes and damaged properties.

Cable theft has also become a problem, with residents resorting to dumping rubble along sections of Main Reef Road to protect underground electrical cables after repeated thefts, she said.

The fence around the Simmer and Jack landfill site broken by the zama zamas. Picture: Nigel Sibanda

Meanwhile, a municipal landfill site has been closed again because of the shootings. Workers at the site confirmed that it had recently shut down because of the ongoing violence.

The closure has disrupted waste collection as municipal trucks are unable to collect rubbish according to their usual schedules.

Closure disrupted waste collection

Enslin said the bodies of illegal miners were also being brought to the surface and left on pavements after they were shot or died underground.

“They bring their bodies up and leave them on the pavements. They wrap them up and leave a piece of paper in their pockets so someone can identify them.

“When residents are driving to work or taking their children to school, they see dead bodies lying on the side of the road. Children should not witness that.”

Although police and task teams regularly operate in the area, Enslin said arrests have failed to provide a lasting solution.

“They know where these people live and they conduct multiple operations. But there are so many of them. When they come here and arrest 100 zama zamas, another 100 are here the following day,” she said.

Questions were sent to the SA Police Service on Tuesday, followed by a further request for comment, but none had been received by the time of publication.

Parliament called on govt to intervene

Parliament has called on the government to urgently intervene to combat illegal mining in Ekurhuleni.

In a joint report dated 12 August, four parliamentary portfolio committees recommended that relevant government departments develop a coordinated action plan within six months to address illegal mining in ward 92, which includes Klopperpark, Highway Gardens, Buurendal and Harmelia.

According to the report, illegal mining affects more than half of the 22 residential and industrial areas in ward 92, where residents and workers face intimidation, robbery and extortion.

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