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NATIONAL NEWS AND VIDEO - A crowd of artisanal miners (Zama Zama’s) protested at the N11 Hendrina Road, outside Ermelo on 18 October.
Highvelder received a video where a group of primary learners flee from the scene, after protestors set alight tyres near their school.
According to one of the teachers at the school, the group broke into the school by cutting the fence.
They began slamming on the class doors and demanded the children leave the school.
They then went to the principal and threatened to burn the educators’ cars if the children did not leave.
“The children were screaming and crying while the protestors shouted at them,” the teacher said.
She claimed their motive was to involve the teachers in the strike as they wanted their support.
She told the newspaper members of the Ermelo Taxi association came to assist with the situation.
It is alleged that the group also targeted Reggie Masuku Secondary School.
This followed after 271 men were arrested during an operation against illegal mining on 13 October.
Among the persons arrested were 30 Zimbabwean citizens, 92 Mozambicans and 11 eSwatinians.
The group appeared in the Ermelo Magistrate’s Court on 17 October, and tensions have been running high since then.
The police dispersed the crowd, who then scattered into Wesselton.
VIDEO - Caxton publication, Highvelder:
