Netwerk24 reports that the police intervened last week in Welkom just in time to prevent 300 zama-zamas (illegal miners) from throwing an alleged murderer down a disused mine shaft.  

Police spokesman Capt. Stephen Thakeng indicated that Moruti Mohelepi (52), a Lesotho citizen, was murdered by his two nephews, whom he had been supporting following their father’s death.  All three worked as illegal miners.  They fell out over the distribution of proceeds from gold ore that had been sold.  Mohelepi was hit over the head and stabbed in the back.  After the murder, other zama zamas searched out the murderers and caught up with one of them, whom they wanted to throw alive into a shaft.  The two brothers have since been charged with murder. (Loosely translated from Afrikaans)

• Read this report by Alet Van Der Walt in full in Afrikaans at Netwerk24 (limited access)

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