Illegal mining massacre: Seven bodies dumped at Putfontein off-ramp

The discovery of seven bodies, dumped on the side of the N12 freeway at the Putfontein off-ramp in Ekurhuleni, has sparked a province-wide manhunt.

Residents of the East Rand awoke to a gruesome scene on 27 December, with police vehicles swarming near the notorious Putfontein off-ramp. Ekurhuleni emergency services confirmed that seven bodies were discovered at the scene, six of which had wounds to the chest, while one had been burnt beyond recognition.

Putfontein: The deadly epicentre of illegal mining activity

Multiple murder incidents related illegal mining at Benoni Gold mine : seven illegal miners killed underground and taken out and dumped next to N12 ,Putfontein off ramp. Six with gunshots wound and the seventh with burn wounds suspected to has been caused by explosives. pic.twitter.com/alUqaCcQ7A

— BENONI CPF (@CpfBenoni) December 27, 2019

Ekurhuleni EMS spokesperson William Ntladi could not confirm whether the wounds were the result of gunshot trauma or lacerations, but noted that postmortem examinations would be done to confirm the cause of death.

This specific location on the East Rand is notorious for illegal mining activities and the subsequent conflicts which arise when warring factions vie for control of abandoned sites.

Benoni police spokesperson Captain Nomsa Sekele confirmed that the area was a crime hotspot, with murders and robberies being a common occurrence in Putfontein.

In May 2019, a young couple was brutally gunned down on the Putfontein bridge after their vehicle had run out of fuel. The callous murder of Jessica Kuhn and Johanco Fleischman made headlines across the country and heightened awareness around the area’s lawlessness. It’s suspected that Kuhn and Fleischman were killed by illegal miners – often referred to as “zama zamas”.

While Ntladi has refused to speculate on a motive for the most recent murders, early indicators point to the deadly illegal mining operations which dot the area. The City of Ekurhuleni confirmed that law enforcement agencies were actively investigating the events surrounding the gruesome discovery.

This is a developing story – more details to follow