News24Wire reports that police minister Bheki Cele on Friday welcomed the introduction of a task team to tackle gangsterism and illegal mining in the Free State.  

The 12-member task team was unveiled at a ministerial imbizo in Welkom, where residents raised their concerns.  These included their frustrations about crime, illegal mining in the area, corrupt police members and police vehicles not being available to respond to criminal incidents.  Cele instructed provincial police commissioner Lieutenant General David Sempe to look into the claims about police not adequately serving the community.  Cele announced in June that the Anti-Gang Unit had been elevated to a national level because "gangsterism is spreading across" the country.

• Read the original of the above report at Mining Weekly

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