Heavy police presence in Etwatwa

Sunday, October 11, 2015

Pretoria - Heavy police presence in Etwatwa and Daveyton is expected to ensure learning and teaching takes place without glitches as schools reopens for the fourth term tomorrow.

Recent, a spate of mob justice cases were reported in the area after angry community members took on a local gang that allegedly terrorised the community of Etwatwa. The Etwatwa /Daveyton Task Team Against Gangsterism /Violence convened by the Human Settlement MMC councillor Aubrey Nxumalo, confirmed that the instability in the community has resulted in the high rate of absenteeism in schools as more young people feared for their lives.

According to Nxumalo, both the SAPS and Ekurhuleni Metro Police Department will monitor the area tomorrow. The task team will visit each secondary school of Etwatwa and Daveyton to motivate learners to focus on education.

“In the past three weeks, we have been working around the clock to restore stability in the area and to prepare for smooth opening of schools.  Tomorrow, as leaders and parents we will be talking to our learners to say that they are safe for as long as they are in school premises.

“Our message is that they ought to walk away from any temptation to be part of any gang. There is only two weeks left before final examinations and we expect them to focus on preparing for exams,” Nxumalo said.

He further said the task team will continue to work in Etwatwa and Daveyton especially in the area of individual and group counselling, as well as spiritual support for those who were affected by gang related violence. Since the mob justice violence erupted in the area, three teenage boys have been burnt to death and three houses were set alight. In the first incident, members of the ‘OVL’ gang killed a teenager by placing a tyre over his body and setting it alight. – SAnews.gov.za