LISTEN | Listen to our cries, anguished Westbury residents tell crime imbizo

“Help us please, guys. That’s all I’m asking. Listen to our cries.”

This was the plea from residents during a ministerial crime prevention imbizo at the Westbury recreational hall on Tuesday morning.

Listen here:

The community engagement, led by police minister Bheki Cele, saw residents from in and around the Sophiatown policing area engage with Cele, Gauteng premier Panyaza Lesufi, community safety MEC Faith Mazibuko and top police brass.

Cele had last week visited the area after a wave of violence in Westbury claimed two lives and left 11 injured. He announced the launch of a “mini programme” to tackle the issues plaguing the gang-ridden area, including a plan to deal with gun violence.

Tuesday’s meeting got off to a heated start when Sophiatown community policing forum chairperson Gus Malgas was shouted down by residents as he made his opening remarks.

Instead, resident after resident approached the podium. Elderly people, schoolchildren and heartbroken parents shared the pain of living among gangs and the community-wide effect of gun violence.

One young woman begged police to “listen to our cries” and help the community regain control over the neighbourhood.

Two pupils from Westbury Secondary School painted a grim picture of life as a young resident.

Matriculant Oreeditse Sebe, the deputy Representative Council of Learners president at the school, said she feared for her life and those of her family.

“I agree with the community that all of us are scared. I am scared. Waking up is like, oh my God, am I going to wake up and be shot? What if today is the last day I see my mother?

“It is not what a teenager should be thinking about. I’m in matric, I’m supposed to be thinking about passing,” she said.

School leader Enrico Fredericks pressed the officials on what type of interventions would be made to improve the situation.

He called for a greater police presence outside the school and a safe platform for young people to report crimes they witnessed at home and at school.

This is a developing story

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