Government vows to crackdown on illegal and violent mining strike

01 Feb 2016 | Admin Author

The government has warned of a crackdown on violence and intimidation accompanying the illegal strike by workers at several platinum and gold mines.

Justice Minister, Jeff Radebe, said illegal gatherings, the carrying of dangerous weapons, incitement as well as threats of violence against anyone in the affected areas will be dealt with accordingly.

He says law enforcement agencies will not hesitate to arrest those who are found to have contravened legislation governing all these acts.

Radebe's also appealed to all South Africans to desist from these illegal acts and must work with law enforcement agencies to ensure that the situation is normalised.

Responding to a question, Radebe said this was not a state of emergency but an attempt to normalise the situation at the affected mines.

Meanwhile, Finance Minister Pravin Gordhan, says the ongoing mine violence was extremely damaging to the economy.

Speaking at the same media briefing, Gordhan said it undermined confidence in the economy and consequently investment.

He said all South Africans need to work together to stop what is going on as it will damage the economy in more ways than is presently understood.