Following a deadly shooting in Westbury, the Gauteng Provincial Legislature’s Portfolio Committee on Community Safety says the involvement of young people in violence is an indictment of the current state of community safety and social cohesion in the area.
This as the committee expressed shock and sadness at the mass shooting in Westbury on Tuesday. Six teenagers were shot in what is believed to be a gang-related incident in Gauteng. Two teenagers were declared dead on arrival at hospital, while four others remain under medical care.
“According to preliminary reports from the South African Police Service (SAPS), the victims aged between 14 and 19 were allegedly targeted by three suspects believed to be affiliated with a rival gang,” said the Committee in a statement.
The Provincial Anti-Gang Unit and the South African Police Service (SAPS) Forensic Services rushed to the scene and the District Crime Intelligence has been mobilised to assist in tracing the suspects.
“The involvement of young people in such brutal violence is a devastating indictment of the current state of community safety and social cohesion in Westbury.
“This senseless loss of life and the ongoing climate of fear are directly linked to the scourge of gang violence, drug trafficking and the proliferation of illegal firearms in the area,” the Committee said.
The Committee believes that easy access to illegal weapons is a primary enabler of the violence terrorising the community and many others across the province.
The Committee has called for intensified SAPS operations to locate, confiscate, and destroy the vast number of illegal firearms in circulation in Westbury and across Gauteng.
The committee further called on the SAPA to begin eporting detailed statistics on crimes committed using firearms.
“We further call for strengthened support for initiatives such as Gun Free South Africa, which advocate for safer communities through the reduction of firearm-related violence,” it said.
It added that specialised units be deployed to Westbury adding that a high-density, visible policing operation is essential to stabilise the area, dismantle criminal networks, and prevent further bloodshed.
“Peace must prevail in Westbury. The residents of this community and all communities across Gauteng have a constitutional right to live in safety and without fear. The ongoing terror inflicted by a criminal minority must come to an end.
“The Committee stands in solidarity with the law-abiding residents of Westbury and commits to exercising its oversight role to ensure that SAPS and other relevant government agencies act with the urgency this situation demands,” the Committee said. – SAnews.gov.za
