Go after the kingpins, says Macua as police investigate shooting of five men in North West
Police in the North West have launched an investigation into the shooting and discovery of the bodies of five men at an open-cast mine in Tlhatlaganyane village, which falls under the Sun City police station’s jurisdiction.
Provincial police spokesperson, Brigadier Sabata Mokgwabone, said a multi-disciplinary team is gathering information and evidence that will not only help unravel the cause of the murders, but also help identify the perpetrators.
The area is well-known for illegal mining activities and has been previously visited by three national parliamentary portfolio committees on police, home affairs, and minerals following complaints from the local tribal authority. However, Mokgwabone stated that it cannot be speculated or ruled out at this stage that the killings are linked to rival mining operations.
Mokgwabone said the police will conduct an extensive investigation to ensure the perpetrators are identified and arrested.
“All clues and leads will be investigated, including the identities of the deceased and the reasons for them being at the site before they were shot and killed,” he said.
Meanwhile, IOL spoke to the Mining Affected Communities United in Action (Macua), an organisation that has been working closely with mining communities across South Africa.
Macua’s national coordinator, Sabelo Mnguni, said the latest killings reflect not only the brutality of criminal syndicates but also the policy vacuum that leaves mining communities vulnerable.
“While the police must urgently pursue those responsible, experience shows that targeting foot soldiers alone is ineffective,” said Mnguni.
“The real test is whether law enforcement and Parliament will finally go after the high-level kingpins who finance and direct these operations, and who continue to enjoy political protection despite billions already spent on operations like Vala Umgodi without a single major syndicate leader being arrested.”
Mnguni added that the legislative framework is equally important. “The recent amendments to the MPRDA (Mineral and Petroleum Resources Development Act) fail communities by entrenching the dominance of corporate actors, many of whom fund political parties, while excluding artisanal and small-scale miners,” he said.
According to Mnguni, without meaningful legal pathways for community custodianship and beneficiation, desperation in areas with unemployment rates as high as 70 percent will only deepen, providing fertile ground for syndicates to recruit.
“If Parliament is serious, the portfolio committee and the Madlanga Commission should probe not only corporate capture of mineral rights, but also the networks that shield criminal leaders,” he added.
Mnguni said empowering communities through inclusive legislation could transform them from victims of violence into natural custodians of mineral wealth—the best defence against both inequality and organised crime.
jonisayi.maromo@iol.co.za
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