#KagisoShutdown: Mayor, police commissioner call for calm

The West Rand District police commissioner Major General Fred Kekana and Mogale City Executive Mayor Tyrone Gray have called for calm to return to Kagiso.

Also read: Mayor explains why things are boiling over in Kagiso: West Village attack added fuel to fire

Colonel Kweza from the Gauteng police confirmed that the body of an unknown man had been discovered in an open field in Chamdor in the Krugersdorp area.

“The police have dispersed the necessary crime scene management team to the scene,. The motive and cause of death will form part of the investigation.”

Kweza said police are currently monitoring the protest with local police and Public Order members.

The district commissioner of the West Rand, major General Kekana has called on the protesters to engage with the police and the community policing forum to return calm to the township.”

Gray also called on members of the Kagiso community who have embarked on a total shutdown of the township to be calm.

“This protest was triggered by the recent gang rape of eight women at an abandoned mine dump in West Village, Krugersdorp by alleged illegal miners. Early this morning the community marched to Soul City, formerly known as Tudor Shaft, with the purpose of ‘flushing out’ zama zamas (illegal miners) operating in the area, who have also been fingered as terrorising not only the Kagiso but other residential areas adjacent to mine dumps across the West Rand areas where illegal mining activity takes place.”

Gray called on residents and the leaders of the shutdown to raise their grievances in a manner that would not cause damage to property and loss of life.

One casualty has been reported and to avoid further loss of life and destruction of community infrastructure and property, the mayor is engaging community and protest leaders to find a solution to the violence flaring up from the march.”