Residents of Westbury, Johannesburg, have threatened another shutdown on Monday. On Friday they brought traffic to a standstill in the area by barricading roads with objects and burning tyres.
This in protest against gansterism and crime in general. They marched to the Sophiatown Police Station, demanding action against crime.
Three people were injured when police used teargas and fired rubber bullets to disperse the crowd during the violent protest.
Gauteng Community Safety MEC, Sizakele Nkosi-Malobane addressed the community later on Friday.
When police tried to disperse the protesting crowd outside the Sophiatown police station, three people, two of them elderly women, were injured after they were hit by rubber bullets.
[LISTEN] The residents of #Westbury in Johannesburg are accusing all police officers at the Sophiatown police station and they want all of them to be moved.
🎧https://t.co/d6BtYToagX#updateatnoon #sabcnews pic.twitter.com/1NvQOVo7NN— SAfm Current Affairs 104-107fm 📻 (@SAfmCAff) September 28, 2018
An angry community member says they’ve been complaining about crime, drugs and gansterism for years and no one listens to them.
“People are getting killed in Ennerdale, Riverlea, all over – what are the cops doing? Nothing. They shoot on the innocent people they supposed to protect.”
Nkosi-Malobane said raids and crime prevention operations would be stepped up and that two known gang members in the community will be re-arrested, after they were previously released by authorities.
However, Community policing forum member, Tilly Michaels, has accused authorities of making empty promises.
“Nobody is listening to the community and promises are being made but are not being fulfilled. The community is still being taken for granted. People are seeing that the authorities are not listening to the community, they are not willing to make any serious efforts into curbing and stopping this gang and drug violence that is going on. So there is silence and the community is like why the silence while the people are dying.”
Residents of Westbury now marching to the local police station. #WestburyShutdown #sabcnews pic.twitter.com/J5qo9oii3P
— Hasina Gori (@Hasina_Gori) September 28, 2018
The MEC also promised that three police officers accused by residents of colluding with criminals will be removed from the local police station while their conduct is being investigated.
Michaels says the fact that no feedback has been provided over the weekend despite the MEC saying the matter would be treated as a matter of urgency is one of the reasons they’ll be back in the streets again Monday morning.
“The community is going to meet and continue the protest that was started on Friday. The MEC is committed to removing those from the police station with immediate effect. Nobody has come back to the community and say that has happened. The other thing was drug devils – they are causing chaos in our community again nobody has come back to the community and say we have put those into custody we are questioning them or let the law take its cause on that.”
#WestburyShutdown [WATCH] The moment the @SAPoliceService opens fire on protesting #Westbury residents with rubber bullets in an attempt to disperse crowds outside the #SophiaTown police station. #sabcnews pic.twitter.com/WeQiIMGbBg
— Jamaine Krige (@jour_maine) September 28, 2018
Johannesburg Metro police have been patrolling the area over the weekend and the situation has been calm. Gauteng police spokesperson, Lungelo Dlamini says the police will be deployed to monitor the situation.
“Police are aware of the protest that has been planned by the community for Westbury. We will be policing the area. But we are appealing to the residents not to take the law into their own hands they got the rights to protest but they should not inconvenience other members of the public.”
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