Gauteng police have launched an investigation into two counts of murder and four of attempted murder following a shooting at the Zamimpilo informal settlement in Riverlea, south of Johannesburg, as residents describe a community paralyzed by fear of retaliatory violence.
According to police, more than 40 people had gathered outside a tavern at approximately 3 a.m. on Sunday when a group of armed men, allegedly carrying AK-47 rifles, approached and opened fire on patrons.
The deceased have been identified as a 29-year-old brother and a 23-year-old nephew of Queeneth Lukhele, a grieving family member who spoke at the scene.
“My brother and nephew were killed,” Lukhele said. “We are told this happened at 3 this morning. However, no one tells us what really happened. We have been asking around. People are not talking. What are we supposed to do? They were each killed by a bullet.”
Lukhele explained that only her nephew resided in the settlement, while her brother lived in Soweto, complicating the family’s ability to gather information. She received the call in the early hours and arrived at the scene shortly after, but said it took several hours before forensic officials removed the bodies.
“It’s quite sad because the body should not be left unattended for that long,” she said. “We understand they wanted a relative, next of kin, but the family was here before the police arrived. The police station isn’t even far from here. We drove all the way from Orange Farm.”
She added: “Somebody knows something.”
While police official reports refer only to a group of unknown suspects, witnesses at the scene have claimed that a group of illegal miners residing in the area opened fire on patrons.
One witness, who described hiding during the attack, said: “We were drinking. Right after purchasing my drink, someone pulled me to the side and told me not to run because something was about to happen. He told me to lay on the floor and act dead. That’s when I heard the gunshots. They kicked me back down with those guns.”
Fear of victimization has prevented residents from coming forward with information, according to local officials.
A ward councillor and community chaplain confirmed the pervasive fear, with one telling reporters: “The community now, they don’t want to come out and say this is what happened, this is what we saw, because no one wants to be a target. It’s like an unknown scene. You don’t know who you are dealing with. The community is scared.”
“People are scared to come forward because they live in fear in these shacks,” the official continued. “Should anyone come forward, they’ll definitely be killed. We are not safe here. Our shacks are even sinking because the zama zama are digging underneath.”
The Zamimpilo informal settlement has long been known as a hotspot for violent conflict driven by illegal miners who both operate and reside in the area. Over the years, turf wars between rival groups have led to frequent shootings and murders.
A community representative expressed frustration with the lack of progress from previous incidents, stating: “What is puzzling me is that last year, a similar incident happened whereby four people died and 11 were injured around this month of April — end of April. There is no outcome of the investigation from SAPS to say what happened, who is behind this thing.”
When asked whether the South African Defence Force had been deployed to the area as promised, the representative said: “I think they came in when they were doing a parade to check the area. After that, they disappeared. We never saw them again. We don’t see any change in terms of government intervention. When you talk about Zamimpilo, you are talking about a Category C settlement. These people, all South Africans that are here, need to be relocated to a safe place, because this place is not safe at all.”
Residents of the neighboring suburb of Riverlea also detailed how the ongoing chaos has affected their community.
“Everything that has to do with that community has been painted as very dark,” one resident said. “Crime there is very high, specifically zama zama’s illegal mining. How it affects Riverlea is that, for example economically, a lot of people don’t want to move to Riverlea. It’s a very nice neighborhood, a beautiful neighborhood that people could come and stay in. But the reason people don’t want to stay here is because they think it has been associated with illegal mining. When you have conversations with people, they will tell you, ‘I don’t want to move to Riverlea because there’s illegal mining there, there’s zama zama there, and people are dying from that.’”
Police maintain that the suspects and the motive for the shooting remain unknown, with investigations still underway.
“The suspects are unknown at this stage, and the motive for the attack is yet to be determined,” police said in a statement. “Police investigations are ongoing.”
Authorities have appealed to the public for assistance, urging anyone with information to contact the Crime Stop line or submit information via the my SAPS app.
The owners of the tavern where the shooting occurred remain missing.
