SAPS must ramp-up efforts to deal with gang-related gun violence  

27 February 2023

The South African Police Service must intensify efforts to deal with gang-related gun violence in Westbury. The community of Westbury have dubbed their area a warzone. It is disheartening that there are some among us in our country who are subjected to all sorts of social ills, from extreme poverty, substance and drug abuse, gender-based violence to the trauma constantly living in fear of gangs in their communities.

A couple of months ago, similar incidents descended on the people of Eldorado Park where people also face the threat of gang-related violence.

Many a report have been written to highlight the problem of gang turf wars between the Fast Guns, whose leader, Keenan Elias who was shot dead yesterday over and above the more than 100 lives lost to date.  

ActionSA applauds community members of Westbury, Eldorado Park and Riverlea such as Dereleen James, a renowned anti-drug activist from Eldorado Park. Dereleen and her community have been active for years, asking for Justice for residents of these areas.

South Africans are tired of the multiple sociological challenges that are forcing them to lose all hope and trust in our law enforcement agencies to deal with acts of extreme violence that often results in senseless killings and high fatality rates in our communities.

We call upon all affected communities across our country to stand together in unity alongside to fight against these heinous crimes. However, we must caution against vigilantism and retaliation. Community members must exercise caution and never take the law into their own hands. Ours is to compel our law enforcement agencies to take up the fight and carry out their mission to protect and serve all of us.

Issued by Herman Mashaba, ActionSA President, 27 February 2023