In one weekend, 11 people were attacked in six shootings in Westbury, Johannesburg. Two were killed. The attackers were retaliating after last week’s killing of alleged Fast Guns gang leader Keenan Ebrahim, who died in a hail of bullets while driving down a busy road in Roodepoort. All these shootings happened with zero regard for bystanders who may be caught in the crossfire. The brazen shooters were confident they wouldn’t get caught.
So volatile was the Westbury situation that Johannesburg’s City Power declared it a no-go zone. As unscrupulous gangsters took over the streets, residents were forced to hide in their homes. City Power spokesperson Isaac Mangena said: “The alleged violence between two rival drug gangs ... has left Westbury, Eldorado Park, Claremont and Riverlea as no-go areas.”
“City Power, out of concern for the safety of its personnel, has decided to withdraw its employees and contractors from the affected areas.”
His statement tells the story of residential areas hijacked by cold-blooded criminals who could not care less about children playing in streets or honest people walking or driving to work, or about disrupting basic service delivery.
One of the two people killed at the weekend was a 14-year-old boy.
“We’ve been unable to leave our homes since Thursday because bullets are flying everywhere,” a resident told TimesLIVE.
“I wish I had a choice and means to move somewhere, because this is not how life is supposed to be,” another said.
Their stories are harrowing and should be echoing through the walls of our law enforcement agencies.
Gauteng police commissioner Lt-Gen Elias Mawela has said resources are being mobilised. One arrest has been made. That is little comfort to those living there. The gang violence in that area has been going on for years. In October, Gauteng police recovered two unlicensed firearms and more than 70 rounds of ammunition after a man was shot dead. This was outside a shop, in broad daylight, at about 7.30am. In November, two people were shot dead in Westbury. As far back as 2018, a mom and child were shot in gang violence — the mother took nine hits. This is the same place where a three-year-old boy was shot dead in 2014.
City Power CEO Tshifularo Mashava at the weekend called on law enforcement agencies to restore stability.
“We urge the South African Police Service to bring the situation under control ... not only to enable smooth delivery of services but to protect innocent lives.”
Mashava is correct; the police need to step up their game. Maintaining high visibility on the streets may be a short-term solution, but the aim should be long-term stability.
For that, police officers need the help of residents who have been asked to share anonymous tip-offs that may help bring perpetrators to book. The community should not be shy to contact their nearest police station with information.
However, people are scared. A ward councillor in the area did not want to comment to TimesLIVE about the situation, saying he feared for his life. Coupled with that, chances are high residents do not trust all police officers working in that area. In the meantime children, teenagers, moms and innocent bystanders in Westbury and surrounds will continue to be shot if conscious and meticulous efforts are not made by the authorities to act pre-emptively and pro-actively.
