CITY of Joburg Mayor Kabelo Gwamanda has responded to the illegal mining incident at Jerusalem informal settlement near Florida.
This is after the residents sought refuge at Florida Police Station because of the shootings by zama zamas on Wednesday night, 16 August.
About 40 people from Jerusalem fled to the cop shop as heavy fire was exchanged by the zama zamas engaged in a turf war over access to make-shift mine shafts.
Gwamanda, who was joined by Member of Mayoral Committee for Public Safety Dr Mgcini Tshwaku, visited Jerusalem on Friday, 18 August.
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"As the City of Johannesburg, we are dedicated to combating crime in our community. Lawlessness will not be tolerated. We cannot let our residents live in fear. It is critical that we continue to prioritise the safety of our communities, and we will crack down on these criminals. Our city will not be turned into a war zone," he said.
The mayor also committed to implementing a plan to eradicate illegal mining.
"The approach will include a tip-off system to encourage affected communities to report suspicious activity; a joint task force between JMPD, SAPS and private tactical security units to deal with law enforcement and community safety; and a strong focus on building inter-governmental and private sector partnerships to deal with eradicating the scourge of illegal mining,” Gwamanda said.
