Govt to hold imbizo in Kagiso over illegal mining - Ramaphosa
An imbizo will be held in Kagiso, west of Johannesburg this weekend following this week's shutdown over illegal mining.
The community meeting will be attended by government officials, including from the Mineral Resources Department, as well as police.
On Thursday, residents hunted down so-called zama zamas, burned down some of their homes and sealed makeshift mining shafts.
They are blaming them for the high crime in the area following last week's rape of eight women at a mine dump.
READ: Mine owners also to blame for illegal mining crisis – SAHRC
President Cyril Ramaphosa announced the imbizo while addressing a social sector summit on Gauteng's East Rand on Friday.
Ramaphosa said the imbizo is to address and interrogate issues of illegal mining and crime.
"As we address these incidents, we need to distinguish between legitimate protests and criminality, because unless we distinguish between the two we are going to loose what needs to be done and how it needs to be done.
"Yes, there are community concerns and grievances that needs to be addressed. Concerns that we should all have to prevent lose of life, destruction to property. This today, we also saw mob justice being played out.”
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