South Africa police search for killers of 9 illegal miners stoned to death

Feb. 1 (UPI) -- South Africa police said Saturday they have taken 87 people into custody for questioning in the search for killers of nine illegal miners stoned to death Friday in an alleged clash with rivals.

The 87 people were taken into questioning last night, and the '"manhunt will continue" until all suspects connected to the murder are found and arrested," the South African Police Service said in a statement posted to Facebook Saturday.

A goal of the questioning is "to establish if they were not wanted for any crimes," the statement said.

Police were summoned in the Johannesburg District hours after nine people were killed in Matholeville, Roodepoort, to hunt down suspects and "deal with all forms of criminality in Matholeville and the surrounding areas," according to the statement.

Lt. General Elias Mawela, the provincial commissioner of police in Gauteng, has called for "calm and cooperation" as the search continues, the statement added.

A police statement Friday said the nine miners were Lesotho Nationals and zama-zamas, a term for thousands of illegal miners in the country who try their luck at striking gold.

They were killed Friday afternoon "allegedly by their fellow zama-zamas of Lesotho origin," the statement said.

Their bodies "were found lying in the streets of Matholeville," the statement continued, and a 10th lone survivor found is currently receiving hospital treatment.

"We condemn this barbaric attack and we will ensure we leave no stone unturned in making the people of Matholeville and Roodeport to feel safe," Mawela said in a statement. "The suspects will be arrested as soon as possible and the police will not sleep until we find them."

The attack occurred about a day after a police raid, officials said.