Dozens of Randfontein residents are sheltering in a local community hall, afraid to return to their own homes to collect basic belongings and documents after fleeing sustained gun violence from alleged illegal miners, known as zama zamas.
The displaced families, numbering nearly 600 according to one resident, say the crisis escalated in November 2025 when the illegal miners opened fire in the informal settlement. The situation reached a breaking point this week, forcing a mass exodus.
One of the displaced residents described a terrifying three- to four-hour period of continuous gunfire. He explained that the community initially mistook whistles blown during the incident as alarms from neighbours, only to realize the danger was from the armed zama zamas.
“We just want… to live safely in our own homes,” he said, highlighting the community’s primary plea to government for decisive action.
The residents were forced to leave their homes abruptly, with many fleeing with only the clothes on their backs. Schoolchildren in the hall are leaving in their uniforms to attend class, and adults are attempting to go to work, but critical personal documents remain behind in the abandoned settlement.
Local authorities, including the acting mayor and members of the mayoral committee (MMC), have been notified. The displaced were initially turned away from one location before finding refuge in the current hall. According to the residents, authorities have promised to arrive at the hall by 8:00 a.m., though the specific assistance to be provided remains unclear.
The living conditions in the temporary shelter are strained, with him citing a lack of sufficient toilet facilities for the large number of families.
On the ground, frustration with the official response is palpable. While a ward councillor is reported to have assisted the group, commentators have labelled the situation “outrageous” and “abnormal,” arguing that authorities should have intervened immediately when residents were first driven from their homes.
The community now waits in limbo, caught between the threat of violence in their own neighbourhood and an uncertain, overcrowded sanctuary, as they appeal for a permanent solution to reclaim their safety and homes.