Daily Maverick reports that an electrician and Sibanye-Stillwater employee was shot and killed on Monday night in a shootout between zama zamas (illegal miners) and mine security at the company’s moth-balled Cooke shafts near Randfontein.

Security sources estimate that up to 150 armed men were involved in the attack, which may help explain allegations that when the police finally showed up they did nothing. The illegal operation seemingly had the aim of sending hundreds of zamas zamas underground. On Sunday night, power cables were cut in advance of the incursion. But on Monday night, Sibanye, which is responsible for the mine, sent out a team under heavy guard to restore the power. That team came under fire from an estimated 150 heavily-armed zama zamas. During the assault, which lasted for hours with sporadic shooting, the electrician was shot dead. “There were about 150 armed assailants — it was planned and they had stashed supplies,” one source said. Military-style weapons were involved in the attack. Another security source said it was unlikely that 150 armed men would be involved and that a couple dozen were likely backing up scores of zama zamas who were planning to go underground. Sibanye has apparently been trying for years to get closure certificates for the shafts from the government, but to no avail. Properly closing them down, which would include flooding the tunnels, would presumably keep the zama zamas at bay.

• Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Ed Stoddard at Daily Maverick

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