Sunday Times reports that leaked footage of masked rifle-wielding zama zamas dancing to Lesotho folk music and displaying buckets full of cash offer a terrifying glimpse into the intricacies and influence of the mining underworld.
A TimesLive investigation has exposed the criminal underbelly of this parallel universe, flush in cash and stolen weapons, rife with assassinations and attacks on legitimate mines. These Basotho gangs are said to wield considerable influence in the upper echelons of Lesotho’s government, a power base built on a lucrative network of criminal activities centred on SA’s rich gold reef. In the past few months, the rivalry between two of the main groupings, namely Terene ea Khosi Mokata (Mokata’s train) and Terene ea Chakela (Chakela’s train), has intensified, spilling onto SA's soil. Two leaders of Mokata’s train, Sarel Sello and Tshepho Elliot, have been named as wanted suspects for the mass shooting at a Soweto tavern in July that killed 16 people, including a Chakela gang member. Three weeks before the killings, these same two leaders were captured on video handing out wads of cash to supporters of Lesotho’s ruling party, the All Basotho Convention (ABC), at a rally ahead of October general elections in the kingdom. Chakela’s train openly supports the opposition Democratic Congress (DC). Lesotho’s national police commissioner Holomo Molibeli believes profits from the sale of illegally mined gold in SA are used by zama zamas to buy protection from investigations and prosecutions. “It is clear there are direct links and arrangements of convenience between the politicians and zama zamas,” said Molibeli. He claimed that political parties were the direct beneficiaries of these groups’ “social outreach projects”. But the political parties have distanced themselves from his claims. DC spokesperson Serialong Qoo confirmed his party was aligned to Terene Chakela, but said: “They never gave our party money. Not a single cent.” ABC spokesperson Montoeli Masoetsa also confirmed the party had links with Terene ea Mokata, but denied it funded the party.
- Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Tankiso Makhetha, Graeme Hosken & Aron Hyman at Sunday Times (subscriber access only)
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