Police minister visits Westbury – but residents say long-term solutions needed

Westbury residents protest voices have been heard. On Tuesday Police Minister, Bheki Cele and National Police Commissioner Khehla Sithole visited the area promising to address the residents concerns.

Residents of the predominantly coloured community have been protesting since Friday following the fatal shooting of a woman and the injury of her 10-year-old son who were caught in the crossfire of a shootout between rival gangs.

On Monday, residents and police clashed throughout the day with community members hurling rocks and other projectiles, including a petrol bomb, at police who retaliated with teargas, stun grenades and rubber bullets. Several people were arrested.

Among residents’ concerns is the rampant drug problem in the area, gangsterism, a lack of a police presence and the alleged involvement of police in crime.

Addressing the crowds on Tuesday, Cele said an investigation would be launched to look into community claims that police officers were on the payroll of criminals. He said a task team would be established to investigate the Sophiatown police station and would report on its progress in a week.

In addition he said the police’s no-nonsense special team, the amaberete, would be deployed to the area immediately.

Cele was expecting a report within 24 hours on drug lords who operate in the area.

He said two of the men allegedly involved in the shooting of the mother and child had been arrested and asked residents to give him between 48 and 72 hours to arrest the other two alleged perpetrators.

He also promised to return to Westbury next week to begin working with the community to address all the issues that they have.

Commenting on Cele’s address residents said similar interventions had been tried before but failed to solve the community’s problems which they said were not about housing or jobs but about the scourge of drugs and gangsterism.

Ten speakers were randomly picked from the community to highlight residents’ challenges, and they were all united on the issue of drugs and gangs in the area.

Residents said dispensation after dispensation had failed to assist the community get rid of drugs.

“In the previous dispensation we were not white enough. In the current dispensation we are not black enough,” said one speaker to much applause from the crowd who had gathered to hear Cele’s address.

Since the shooting last week, the community has been on a knife edge, demanding that officials address them and questioning government’s commitment to the plight of coloured communities generally.

Pastor Ralph Johnson, a community representative said:

“Our people are aggrieved and tired of police that keep firing at us but don't assist us in the battle for drugs on the ground. We are not after jobs, we want government to assist us fight drugs and we ask for peace. The government should help us establish peace.”

Johnson said police were deployed in the area previously when there was an upheaval, but said the horse-riding officers were deployed for only one week. He said the same thing was going to happen as the intervention would prove to be short-term and ineffective.

“Last time they sent police for a week, after that they disappeared. If there is no participation we will keep doing what we doing. Arrest the drug dealers, and get rid of corrupt officers in government. There must be a complete overhaul of the Sophiatown police station. They must not change one or two officers because the officers are on the payrolls of the drug lords,” he said.

The community of Westbury was also supported by residents from other areas such as Eldorado Park.

“We came here to support the people of Westbury because we are grappling with the same challenges. They are our brothers and sisters,” said an Eldorado Park community leader, Bishop Robinson.

Eldorado Park suffers the same social ills as Westbury.

Robinson said a meeting would be held on Tuesday night to determine whether a shutdown of Eldorado Park would take place on Wednesday. DM