Westbury fighting for elusive peace
Loving mom of 6 died for nothing
An injured resident angrily confronts police after being shot with rubber bullets during a violent protest in Westbury, Johannesburg, yesterday. The protest against gangsterism and drug dealing in the area started last week after a woman was killed and a 10-year-old injured in the crossfire during a shootout between gangsters.
The family of a woman who was killed by a stray bullet in Westbury last week, when three men opened fire on each other, is hoping the unrest that has engulfed the area will highlight the dangers they face daily.
Thousands of Westbury residents went on the rampage yesterday, protesting against the scourge of drugs and gangrelated crimes in the area.
Entry routes in and around the area were blockaded with rocks and burning tyres, while police and residents clashed.
Dozens of people were injured during running battles with the police, who attempted to disperse protesting residents by firing rubber bullets.
The victim, Heather Peterson, 46, was shot a few metres from her house by unknown men who were shooting each other. Her family yesterday spoke to Sowetan during the violent protests that engulfed the coloured community, West of Johannesburg.
Heather’s brother-in-law, Cecil, said community members were fed up with the scourge of drugs that led to the killing of his sister-in-law last Thursday. “My sister-in-law died for something she did not know. She was coming back from Westbury Primary School to fetch her children’s quarterly report cards.”
He said the mother of six has left a big void in the lives of her children as she did everything for them. “She was a supportive mother, sister, and she had a good heart. Heather was caring and we are going to miss her dearly,” he said.
Kelvin Jegels, a community member who was part of a group of protesters who marched to the Sophiatown police station, said the Fast Guns gang and the Varados were responsible for most of the murders in Westbury as a result of a turf war.
He also accused the police of being complicit in the gang wars and failing to clean up the streets.
“We have to sleep on the floor because we don’t want to be shot in our sleep,” Jegels said.
Gauteng police commissioner Lieutenant-General Deliwe de Lange urged community members to come forward and report police officers who are working with gangsters from the area.
“I have already established a team of detectives who will be dedicated to this area to bring an end to what is happening here,” De Lange said.