3 Zimbabweans suspected to be part of 14 illegal miners shot dead in South Africa

At least three Zimbabweans are suspected to be part of 14 illegal miners that were shot dead in Benoni Ekurhuleni, about 20 km outside Johannesburg in South Africa in fights over gold. Six of the bodies were found lined up in a valley on Monday while the other 8 were found yesterday.

Johannesburg police spokesperson Colonel Lungelo Dhlamini said the recovered bodies were being kept at Springs Mortuary pending a postmortem and that they were yet to be identified.  She said that some of the bodied had gunshot wounds while others had sharp stab wounds. A miner, Mr Gordon Manzou, who spoke to The Chronicle said that he knew three of the victims who came from Kwekwe.

Manzou said that the killings had started last week. He said that the assailants claim to own the mine and demand that the miners pay R50 access fee. Another Zimbabwean Mr Endurance Kazembe told The Chronicle that his friends were ambushed while they mined.