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Police Minister Bheki Cele to visit protest-torn Westbury

Police Monitoring the protest
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Police Minister Bheki Cele is set to visit the community of Westbury on Tuesday morning following yet another day of unrest on Monday.

Scores of Westbury residents again took to the streets in protest against drugs and other forms of crime.

At least five people were arrested for public violence following clashes with police.

A few protesters were injured after police used teargas and rubber bullets to disperse the crowd.

The protesters retaliated by hurling stones.

Bus station set on fire 

A Rea Vaya Bus Station has also been partly damaged after the protesting residents attacked it with stones and a petrol bomb .

They then proceeded to attack the Sophiatown Police Station with stones, prompting police to again fire rubber bullets to disperse them.

The protest was sparked by Thursday’s gang-related shooting which claimed a woman’s life, and left a child in a critical condition.

“I can confirm that the Minister of Police Bheki Cele will be meeting the community of Westbury around 11 o’clock. There has been quite a lot of intervention from the police’s side. However, the community made it clear that they also wanted to see the minister and after some analysis it then became clear that some of these tensions could only be allayed once the minister has visited the community,” says Gauteng Police Spokesperson Mathapelo Peters.

Westbury community leader Shaiem Ismail talks about what they expect from the minister, including sweeping changes at the Sophiatown Police Station.

“His coming here should help us to change the police, not to come here to have a speech. Bheki Cele needs to come here and help us to reinforce the police and restructure. One of our requests is that we’re saying we’re going start from the top. We need that station commander to be removed immediately; we need the management to be changed immediately and let us start from top down. Then get the community to start buying into the police station in terms of having an ownership with that police station.”

The residents have been engaged in running battles with police during their violent protests against drugs and other forms of crime.

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