Restaurant
Accommodation
TEL: 057 352 5430/9 OR 084 503 7648, PRETORUISSTRAAT DAGBREEK WELKOM
Wednesday & Sunday Buffet – Adults –
R65.00 Children – u/10 R25.00
Come Enjoy The Best Buffet Ever. Pizza Special (Only Monday-Saturday) - Medium to large
STILL THE BEST PRICES
R50
NEWNEW-VI120117
Business as usual Marti Will and Nthatisi Motlokoa mwill@volksblad.com
Business owners in the industrial area of Welkom, especially around Ninth Street, are being terrorised by a zamazama infestation. The illegal miners are destroying infrastructure, stealing water and electricity. On Monday (16/01), businesses were left in the dark for virtually the whole day
after the zamas stripped more than 200 m of electrical cable in Ninth Street. The zamas regularly hack water pipes to enable them to construct a primitive damming system to assist in the illegal mining. This method requires large volumes of water. Businesses have been embroiled in this battle for more than six months. Security personnel patrol the electrical substation in
Zama-zamas working a piece of ground between the electrical substation and Max Munchies. Photo: Marti Will
Ninth Street, but they are very afraid of the illegal miners. “Municipal workers refuse to assist with the water problems because their lives are threatened,” says Gary Wilson, owner of Gallison Manufacturing in Ninth Street. “My own employees refuse to clean the area adjacent to the mining activities, as their lives too have been threatened.” Wilson says the police are
aware of the problem and have raided the sites. “The zamas disappeared, but only to re-emerge further down the road. They have now returned to their original spot and even hire accommodation from a well-known businessman in Welkom,” says Wilson. He says the situation is so untenable that the owner of Max Munchies has to dive for cover when the shooting starts.
He lives with his family on his business premises in Ninth Street. Jakes Jooste, the owner of Fresh Bake in Ninth Street, says his employees are afraid to work at night and early in the morning as they too have been intimidated by the zamas. “This situation, along with other struggles business owners in Matjhabeng are facing, will lead to business closures,” says Jooste.
Polisiekaptein ernstig gewond in skietery Molly Green
’n Bekende polisiekaptein, Eben Engelbecht van Odendaalsrus, is ernstig gewond in ’n skermutseling met onwettige mynwerkers (zama-zamas) by ventilasie-skagte van die St Helena-goudmyn by die Lakeview-pan in Welkom. Engelbrecht (54) van die Wel-
kom-polisiegroep was deel van ’n span wat Maandagnag (16/01) zama-zamas by dié ventilasieskagte wou voorlê om te verhoed dat hulle ondergronds gaan. Die omgewing by die pan is ’n gewilde hengelplek. Skote is omstreeks 21:15 gevuur en dié polisieman is gewond. Sy longe is beskadig en
sy milt moes verwyder word. Hy word in die waakeenheid van die Welkom Mediclinic behandel. Marissa Pawson, woordvoerder van die hospitaal, sê Engelbrecht se toestand is ernstig, maar stabiel. Sy familie is by hom. Brig. Sam Makhele, provinsiale woordvoerder van die polisie, sê die groep polisiemanne het in
samewerking met mynsekuriteit opgetree. Hulle het die zama-zamas by ’n ventilasieskag van die myn voorgelê toe daar op hulle geskiet is. Engelbrecht se dogter, Serese, sê haar pa se toestand is kritiek, maar hy is stabiel. Sy sê haar pa was 18 jaar oud toe hy by die polisie aangesluit het.
Kapt. Eben Engelbrecht. Foto: Facebook
R850 SUPPLY & FIT NEWNEW-VI120117