Community members look on as forensic investigators and police officers comb the scene following a mass shooting in which 12 people were killed and several others injured at an informal settlement in Cleveland, Johannesburg, on Tuesday. (Photo: Leon Sadiki) Warning: This article includes graphic details of violent crime.
“Father God, can someone hear us? Jumpers is on fire. Please send the cops.”
This was the voice note that Cleveland Community Policing Forum chairperson Richard Francis received on Tuesday evening from a resident after about 10 heavily armed men entered the Jumpers informal settlement in Cleveland, Johannesburg, and indiscriminately opened fire on residents.
A manhunt has been launched for the suspects in the mass shooting that left 12 people dead and 10 others injured.
Francis said he received numerous calls from Jumpers community members as the mass shooting was occurring. Residents said the shooting spree lasted more than an hour.
“I received a voice note from this one lady who said Jumpers is on fire, and I knew she wasn’t talking about a literal fire, which does happen from time to time. She was talking about gunshots,” said Francis.
/file/attachments/orphans/GUNFIRE13_441896.jpg "Forensic investigators remove the bodies of victims following a mass shooting in which 12 people were killed and several others injured at an informal settlement in Cleveland, east of Johannesburg, late on Tuesday. (Photo: Leon Sadiki)")
The acting national police commissioner, Lieutenant-General Puleng Dimpane, has assigned a specialised team to investigate the mass shooting and assigned members of national units to boost the local forces. These include members from forensic services, tactical response teams and other specialised investigative resources to accelerate efforts to identify, trace and apprehend the shooters.
She said the multidisciplinary task team would work non-stop to pursue all investigative and intelligence leads, including the tracing of a white Toyota Quantum allegedly linked to the incident.
“We have reinforced provincial efforts with additional national specialised resources to ensure that the investigation is expedited and that those responsible are swiftly brought to justice,” said Dimpane.
/file/attachments/orphans/SHOOTING121_427584.jpg "Clothing and belongings are scattered on a blood-covered floor in the aftermath of the mass shooting. (Photo: Leon Sadiki)")
Illegal mining concerns
As residents try to make sense of the violence that broke out on Tuesday evening, concerns over illegal mining in the area are mounting.
The Gauteng police commissioner, Lieutenant-General Tommy Mthombeni, said it was too early to link the mass shooting to zama zama activity, but Francis said illegal mining activity was one of the chief causes of murder within the informal settlement.
“It is very aggressive and competitive, and a large part of our high murder rate stems from the zama zamas,” he said.
In an interview with Newzroom Afrika, a man wearing a ski mask and a Basotho blanket told the broadcaster that the shooting was carried out by men who were part of the community.
He claimed the men had been driven out of the settlement, while other zama zamas stayed. He said the exiled group tried repeatedly to re-enter the settlement, and on Tuesday finally succeeded.
/file/attachments/orphans/GUNFIRE23_716268.jpg "The Gauteng police commissioner, Lieutenant General Tommy Mthombeni, addresses the media at the scene of the mass shooting. (Photo: Leon Sadiki)")
Cleveland is a site of legacy mining where major corporations have suspended their mining activities, leading to illegal miners moving in and turning the informal settlement into an illegal mining hotspot.
“Basically, when those mines closed, they were left empty, and now people have helped themselves to start mining again,” said Francis.
He added that illegal mines were dotted around the area, along the north and south of Main Reef Road, and that most of the illicit mining activity in Jumpers was related to refining gold. Daily Maverick earlier reported that crime intelligence officers confirmed that one of the bodies was found in a dwelling where illicit gold was processed.
Details on the victims remain scarce. However, a Nigerian national visiting a friend who was shot in Jumpers and hospitalised in Germiston spoke to Daily Maverick on condition of anonymity. “I heard gunshots go on at night since I stay close to the place of the incident… I do not know why they shot at them,” he said.
“I doubt that [my friend] was bothering people, which is why I am surprised this happened to him. We are just glad he didn’t die on the spot.”
Missing security guards
Daily Maverick previously reported that the gated informal settlement usually has security guards stationed at the entrance.
Francis explained that the security guards were hired via contractors to protect electrification infrastructure for the City of Johannesburg’s upgrade of the informal settlement. However, a resident told Daily Maverick that the guards, who had been stationed there since February, were missing during the attack. The City has not yet responded to requests for comment regarding the guards’ absence.
/file/attachments/orphans/GUNFIRE19_791876.jpg "Community members look on as investigators comb the scene of the mass shooting. (Photo: Leon Sadiki)")
Political parties weigh in
In the aftermath of the shooting, residents on the ground complained about how Jumpers had become increasingly unsafe, to the point where many female residents said they do not leave their dwellings at night.
Political parties, including the Democratic Alliance (DA) and the Economic Freedom Fighters, have called on the police to address the safety concerns.
“We must not permit Gauteng residents to live in constant fear of criminals descending on their homes under the cover of darkness and carrying out brutal attacks. Such barbarity has no place in our province and must not be allowed to take root,” said the DA’s Crezane Bosch.
The EFF said it had noted “reports that the massacre may be linked to ongoing conflicts involving illegal mining syndicates operating in and around Cleveland. While investigations must establish the full facts, it is undeniable that illegal mining has become a major source of organised crime, violence and instability in parts of Gauteng.
“Communities have repeatedly raised concerns about criminal networks operating openly in the area, yet intervention by law enforcement agencies has been inadequate and ineffective.”
The Gauteng government said, “This brutal attack represents a direct assault on the safety and dignity of our communities. We condemn this barbaric act in the strongest possible terms and call on law enforcement agencies to leave no stone unturned in bringing those responsible to justice.
“We are working closely with law enforcement authorities and relevant stakeholders to ensure that every available resource is mobilised to apprehend the perpetrators and restore a sense of safety within the community.
“No community should have to live in fear of violent criminals. We remain committed to strengthening crime-fighting efforts and supporting initiatives aimed at creating safer communities across Gauteng.” DM
Additional reporting by Salim Nkosi