The Freedom Front Plus (VF Plus) strongly condemns the gang-like actions of zama-zamas who on 29 September 2026 brought the N4 main route and Schoemanskloof Road near Montrose to a standstill for most of the day.
Intense shootouts along the Crocodile River disrupted traffic. Such incidents could seriously paralyse the Lowveld’s economy, trade and tourism.
The incident is just one more in a growing pattern of violence affecting Mpumalanga. In April 2024, three zama-zamas were shot and killed and a police officer wounded during a confrontation in Sabie when the police seized AK-47 assault rifles and hundreds of rounds of ammunition.
In Pilgrim’s Rest, illegal mining activities have excavated below the R533 to such an extent that the road is starting to cave in, and along the Blyde River zama-zama activities are causing serious environmental pollution. Meanwhile, residents and tourists are exposed to intimidation and crime.
The Freedom Front Plus has already raised the issue in the Provincial Legislature and requested its Member of Parliament handling Police Affairs to urgently take up the matter with the Minister of Police.
The party demands a decisive and comprehensive strategy, including a specialised task team, to tackle the zama-zama threat and restore law and order to Mpumalanga.
The province and its people cannot be held hostage by criminal syndicates.
