Mawela: Community mum on illegal mining until deadly gas leak
At least one person remains in critical condition in the hospital following Wednesday night’s gas leak that claimed 17 lives from the Angelo informal settlement near Boksburg.
Authorities worked with concerned residents to root out illicit mining operations nestled between shack dwellings that they allege were the source of the deadly nitric acid leakage.
Community members claimed agents of the illicit mining trade, who process the gold-bearing material from illegal miners, called ‘phendukas’, had been operating the clandestine plant for nearly a year before the tragedy.
Gauteng police commissioner Elias Mawela said the owner of the dwelling where the gas cylinder was tampered with found died a year ago.
READ: Boksburg gas leak death toll climbs to 17
“This place was rented out to certain individuals whom they say are from Zimbabwe. Unfortunately, they couldn’t give me the names of those individuals, but we’ll work with them to identify those who worked here.”
Residents said they lived in constant fear of the miners, who often carry guns and intimidate them.
Judite Manhice lost her son and daughter-in-law, who lived opposite the plant's compound, where seven people died.
“They say the person who leased this place out doesn’t live here, he lives in Soweto. These ones that work here brought this thing [cylinder] and opened it yesterday, and it just killed people,” she said with tears streaming down her face.
