An illegal miner was gunned down at the mine owned by President Jacob Zuma’s nephew, Khulubuse Zuma, and by Nelson Mandela’s grandson, Zondwa Mandela, on Saturday night.
This brings to five the number of miners killed at the mine in just over a month.
The killing happened shortly before 10pm on Saturday at the Grootvlei mine, near Springs, when security officers from the security company Delta Blue allegedly opened fire on illegal miners. They arrested 16 miners.
This is the second shooting reported at Grootvlei mine, a subsidiary of Aurora Empowerment Systems.
Last month, four illegal miners were shot after being found underground by Delta Blue security personnel.
The incident was condemned by the ANC-led alliance, which called for an investigation into the shooting.
Yesterday, police would not comment on the progress of their investigation.
To date, Aurora has reported more than 35 instances of illegal mining.
According to the police’s Warrant Officer Tommy Tomlinson, miners said the security company used excessive force when making the arrests on Saturday night.
Five miners were taken to hospitals in the area, one with a gunshot wound to the leg.
Tomlinson told The Times that no weapons had been found on the miners and this led to suspicions that excessive force had been used.
The police received a call from Delta Blue at 10pm and arrived after the shootings.
They took the miners and four security officers into custody.
A case of murder, attempted murder and assault has been opened against the four.
Aurora Empowerment Systems and Delta Blue could not be reached for comment late yesterday.
The Aurora mine has been plagued by controversy.
Earlier this year, miners downed tools, accusing their bosses of not paying them. The company has also been involved in a costly battle with illegal miners.
Aurora Empowerment Systems’ commercial director, Thulani Ngubane, last month said that the mine had lost in excess of R100-million to illegal mining.
[Story by Billy Rivers appeared on TimesLive.co.za]