Bullets fly in Westbury a day after Bheki Cele's visit
Image: Alaister Russell/The Sunday Times
The sound of gunshots rattled residents in Westbury‚ a day after police minister Bheki Cele visited the suburb in Johannesburg in response to violent anti-crime protests.
Police spokesperson Kay Makhubele said: “Police were alerted about gunshot sounds in the area. Police rushed there and found empty cartridges on the ground. No one was on the scene‚ however a case of attempted murder was opened.”
Cele visited the suburb on Tuesday when community members converged at a local sports ground to vent their frustrations about crime‚ gang and concerns about police not doing enough about it.
Cele vowed to address their concerns. "We commit ourselves to coming back to work on the matters the community has raised. We will ask other departments to be part of the meeting next week so you can raise the matters‚" he said.
Times Select painted a picture of life in the suburb in an article on Wednesday that described how primary school children greeted each other by asking: “Which gang do you belong to? Are you part of the Fast Guns or Varados?”
Delores Mackay lost her son – the father of three young daughters – to gang violence last year. He was shot just metres from her home‚ which is opposite the Sophiatown police station.
Drug turf wars have forced Westbury residents onto the streets where they have vented their fury at levels of crime in the area.
Residents had vowed to shut down the area after a mother was killed in a shooting incident last week. They called on government to deploy the army to clean up the drug-ridden area.
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