MUSIC pirates are scoring big on CDs by new South African sensation Zahara and others.

Sowetan has discovered at least three different fake CDs of Zahara's new album, Loliwe, in the streets of Johannesburg.

The CDs are selling for R10 and the sound is of good quality. The CD sells for between R70 and R90 at music stores. Two of the fake CDs have pictures of two different women passed off as the real artist.

Zahara's producer Robbie Malinga said: "Yesterday we went to the Vaal where we found 1000 fake CDs. This is destroying our game. We work so hard to produce quality but at the end of the day we do not get anything.

"When an artist dies a pauper, fans think that the musician was abusing money, while the pirate is the one who is taking revenue from them."

He appealed to government to take piracy seriously because it is killing the industry. He also urged citizens to declare war on piracy.

This comes as Johannesburg metropolitan police department (JMPD spokesman Chief Superintendent Wayne Minnaar revealed that police were involved in a massive campaign to seize fake CDs and DVDs and arrest sellers and manufacturers.

Just this week, pirates have upped the ante. They are now hacking the system of the entertainment companies to reproduce music, movies and games.

A joint operation between JMPD and SAPS led to the arrested of a 29-year-old man in Bruma, Johannesburg, this week.

"The man had a Sony (Music Entertainment) password and would log onto their system and download games and manufacture them in his house. Police confiscated three computers and other electronic equipment, CDs, games on discs and DVDs. "The goods are estimated at R400000," said Minnaar.

He said in a separate incident, seven men and a woman were arrested in Bruma on Sunday.

Police arrested one of the men in the Johannesburg CBD for selling fake CDs and DVDs. He led police to the Bruma house where counterfeit goods were being manufactured. Police confiscated equipment to the value of R400000.

Anti-piracy campaign chairman, poet Mzwakhe Mbuli, said piracy had gone out of hand. "We will now fight violence with violence. Artists get injured when they are out campaigning against this crime. The pirates attack them when they fight for their bread. We say no more. Enough is enough," Mbuli said.

Lusanda Mcinga of Lusanda Spiritual Group was attacked in Willowvale, Eastern Cape.

She discovered her CDs and DVDs selling for only R35 at a shop in the area. When she confronted the shop owner, she was physically attacked.

"We are now planning to launch operation shoot the pirate. A meeting to finalise the launch would be held next week," Mbuli said.

According to the Recording Industry of South Africa (Risa), artists and the record companies who support them lose an estimated R500-million each year to piracy.

The late Lucky Dube, Yvonne Chaka Chaka, Steve Hofmeyr, Chicco, Arno Carstens, Rebecca Malope, Mandoza, Joyous Celebration, Shwi noMtekhala and the late Brenda Fassie are some of the most pirated artists in South Africa.

Music business consultant from Huge Entertainment Vusi Leeuw said the economy was hugely affected because pirates did not pay tax.

"Piracy is crippling the country. The sad thing is that even police buy these fake CDs.

"People are losing jobs because of piracy. Music companies are shrinking. This adds to the high rate of unemployment and will lead to people turning to crime to get money," he said.

Artists and the record companies lose an estimated R500-million each year to piracy.

The Risa anti-piracy unit is tasked with tackling the issue in the country.