WATCH | Westbury residents block roads in anti-crime protests after woman shot dead

Westbury residents planned to march to the Sophiatown Police Station on Friday following the death of a woman in an apparent gang-related shooting.

Furious residents of the Johannesburg suburb barricaded streets early on Friday‚ calling for a “total shutdown” in the area to protest against drug dealing and gang-related crimes.

The woman was killed and her child wounded after they were shot on Thursday.

Johannesburg Metro Police Department (JMPD) spokesperson Wayne Minnaar said two people had been arrested in connecting with the killing. “One is currently hospitalised under police guard.”

About 300 JMPD officers were deployed to the area to stabilise the situation.

“We were alerted about illegal firearms and weapons in the area as there have been many incidents of violence‚ hence 300 officers were sent to that area‚” said Minnaar.

This is the second shutdown this week‚ as residents of crime-ridden suburbs vent their fury.

Residents protested in parts of Cape Town on Tuesday to draw attention to crime‚ poverty and other problems on the Cape Flats.