Open warfare in Plastic City

BURNING: GUNFIRE, MURDERS AT BRAKPAN SETTLEMENT

- Hein Kaiser

Informal settlement Plastic City on the East Rand has been the scene of gunfire, explosions and murders over the past 10 days as a turf war between illegal miners and waste recyclers rages on.

Zama zamas, or illegal miners, have been involved in several well publicised violent conflicts in recent years, including troubles around southern suburbs Riverlea and Naturena.

This East Rand turf war, said security consultant Marius van der Merwe, could potentially also spread to nearby suburbs as people flee killings and, inevitably, bring the violence with them.

“It’s a war for real estate,” said Van der Merwe. “Plastic City is near shafts that the zama zama miners want to excavate, but it’s also right next to the Weltevreden rubbish dump. It’s a key source of revenue for recyclers.”

The dump has already been temporarily closed because of the violence, said Ekurhuleni spokesperson Zweli Dlamini.

Plastic City, on Brakpan’s outskirts, stretches across two sides of a main arterial entry into the town. It is known for its makeshift shacks and sprawling piles of waste, continually burning tyres and waste.

Even locals dump their refuse there on the roadside for waste pickers to sort and sell for recycling.