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Westbury’s next task: Break up the drug lords and the cops

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Police fired rubber bullets and tear gas at residents of Westbury who were throwing rocks during a protest. Picture: Felix Dlangamandla/Netwerk24
Police fired rubber bullets and tear gas at residents of Westbury who were throwing rocks during a protest. Picture: Felix Dlangamandla/Netwerk24

Instead of dealing with criminals, a local police station has been used for disciplinary hearings against rogue pupils. If the hearings are held at school, the children’s parents fight one another.

Because of pressure from outraged residents of Westbury – a predominantly coloured community in Johannesburg – two police officers at Sophiatown police station, whose names are known to City Press, have been removed from the station following allegations that they were colluding with drug lords.

For almost two weeks the community has embarked on violent protests to voice their frustration with law enforcement authorities for allegedly failing to arrest drug lords and for lack of service delivery.

Tyres were burnt and stones were used to blockade the main road that links Ontdekkers Road and Portland Avenue.

The protesters broke and burnt down a Rea Vaya bus station along Harmony Street, and Fuel and Commando roads.

Irate residents told City Press the violence could have been prevented had the government acted on issues the community had raised in the past.

Tilly Michaels, chairperson of the Sophiatown community policing forum, said 45-year-old Heather Petersen was shot on Thursday in the street near the Rahima Moosa Mother and Child Hospital. She was caught in suspected gang-related gunfire. Michaels said her killing was the “straw that broke the camel’s back”.

Petersen was buried yesterday.

A 10-year-old girl was also hurt in the shooting.

I am on autopilot and I want to remain strong for my children
Reuben Petersen, Heather Petersen's Widower

He had asked government representatives, including Police Minister Bheki Cele, to ensure that no other family loses a member through gang-related violence.

Prior to Heather’s death, Michaels said the community had embarked on several initiatives, including night vigils and prayer sessions, to help deal with gang-related violence and crime and drug-related challenges.

“We’ve done things to stop the shootings. That didn’t happen. We had peaceful things going on ... her death was the straw that broke camel’s back,” said Michaels.

She said gangs had become “brazen” in the community.

Pupils in primary and high schools were being lured by gangs and children were hooked on drugs, she said, claiming that drug dealers injected drugs into toffee apples and sweets and gave them to “the young ones”.

Those in high schools were enticed and introduced to drugs through “street bashes” (parties).

“We had a report from principals saying they had to spend 60% of their time dealing with behaviour problems, with only 40% spent on teaching. We run DC [disciplinary] hearings at the police station because, if we hold them at the schools, parents fight to defend their children. In my time there were no stop-and-search [processes] in schools, but here that is the norm.”

Michaels said the names of the two officers, who were transferred, were mentioned in community gatherings. They allegedly worked with drug dealers.

“They get money in exchange for information and protection,” she alleged.

On Friday an internal investigation was scheduled to begin at the police station to reveal the extent of police involvement with drug leaders.

Michaels said the community had called on Cele to help and he had deployed a tactical response team, known as Amaberete, in an effort to clamp down on criminal activities in the area.

At the time of going to print, Gauteng police spokesperson Captain Kay Makhubela had not responded to questions relating to the removal of the two officers from Sophiatown and crime statistics in Westbury.

Minister of Police Bheki Cele has brought in a special tactical team to help clamp down on gangsterism in Westbury. Picture: Leon Sadiki

But a resident who works closely with police told City Press that they had challenges when dealing with drug lords and dealers.

Police knew who the drug lords were but could not arrest them because when they conducted searches in their block of flats nothing was ever found.

“They live a clean, normal life. If you get into their houses, they are clean. Some of them live in flats just in front of the police station and police know that they are drug lords and dealers but nothing is found in their homes. Patrollers also find it difficult to get into some streets because many are very narrow and they can only walk in there which is too risky.”

Local clergyman Bishop Dalton Adams said spiritual and community leaders did not feel as if they were getting support from the community.

Family structures had been broken and there were challenges relating to the discipline of children, he said.

“Children run rampant without adequate supervision. May I also mention that parallel to that is the issue of apartheid’s spatial strategy. You can see for yourself how our people live on top of one another. It’s a recipe for disaster. Up to three generations sometimes live in a two-bedroom house. There is no privacy,” he said.

“The anger is built up in children generation by generation because there is no privacy. They see mother and father fighting. They see the uncle stabbing the other uncle. Violence is the order of the day. So our children grow up with that in our society,” said Adams.

The challenges were not just to do with the issue of governmental oversight or crime prevention.

“There’s got to be family restoration. There must be community structures rebuilt. There must be a whole range of things to adhere to and be addressed to get a community like this right. But our immediate crisis is the challenge of shootings that continue unabated. Every week I bury people. As pastors, we are also traumatised. I spend every Saturday at grave sites burying children.”

Resident Elizabeth Korte (68) said the coloured community had been forgotten by the ANC-led government.

“We are coloured people. I’m sure that’s why they don’t worry about us. You know our parents lived under apartheid so in those days our parents were not politicised. We grew up in houses that believed in the white men. Must we now be punished for those parents of ours who didn’t know politics? We are punished because most of our people vote for the DA. That’s the punishment we are getting from the ANC.”

Another resident, Jackie Josephs, said unemployment was at the centre of their challenges.

“It’s obvious if children are hungry because their parents are not in a position to support them, they definitely will do drugs. We have a huge problem. If people had jobs and could support their kids, I don’t think anyone would choose this way of living.

“We are humans and a race in mourning. We are a coloured nation in mourning. What we are crying for right now is for assistance.”

Coloured communities have had enough

Locals’ exclusion from government contracts, lack of recreational facilities and funding for needy students, and lack of jobs were at the centre of Ennerdale community grievances this week.

Sentiments of being “a marginalised community” were shared by every resident who interacted with City Press during a violent protest at the intersection of the R558and James Street in the Johannesburg suburb on Friday.

Ennerdale is the second predominantly coloured area in Gauteng to have embarked on a protest relating to lack of service delivery and drug use challenges.

The protests followed calls from within the coloured communities in Gauteng and across the country for a total shutdown on Thursday.

Eldorado Park was among other areas that were reportedly involved in the #ShutdownGauteng this week.

Ennerdale community leader Contessa Koks said their protest was in support of the Westbury community.

“There is a problem of unemployment among youth. After they finish matric and go to university they get excluded through employment equity. There are no study loans for those who want to study.

“As coloureds we feel tired of marginalisation from all government provisions, benefits and opportunities that all other race groups enjoy. Our youth are hopeless and drug lords are using this. It’s a chain reaction.”

Koks said lack of effective policing contributed to increased drug use in their community.

According to Koks, on average there were seven reported rape cases and five murder incidents per month in their community.

She said the narrative that coloured communities accepted drugs was not a correct representation of their society.

“We are not happy with this perception. If we were, we would not be complaining,” she said.

Another resident, Ingrid Jeffreys, said dockets go missing, leading to cases being dropped.

“We are just not getting anywhere. There’s a need for a change of guard at the police station every three months. They get complacent. There should be rotation.”

Jeffreys said government contracts were also given to outsiders.

“We are not getting these tenders and our people are not benefiting. At least we should be getting involved when there is renovation of pools and in roadworks.”

Another concerned resident, Adrien Baker, said the justice system was failing them.

“My stepdaughter was murdered six years ago, but her killer got 10 years in prison while rhino poachers get 20 years. I’m expecting that her killer will be released back to our community through parole. Where is justice in that?”


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Msindisi Fengu
Journalist
City Press
p:+27 11 7139001
w:www.citypress.co.za  e: msindisi.fengu@citypress.co.za
      
 
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