Johannesburg - “My son is not a gangster, nor is he disrespectful. He is always at home and is quite introverted. He can be anything, but he is not a gangster. Only yesterday did this friend come to pick him up, and this happened.”
These are the words of the mother of the 18-year-old teenager who was shot multiple times in the home of one of his friends in Westbury, Johannesburg.
News of the shooting has sent shock waves across the community, which has seen a resurgence of gun violence linked to drugs, turf wars and gangsterism.
The teenager, who is recuperating in hospital, could have died had friends and neighbours not rushed him to the hospital on Monday morning, prompting speculation that he had died.
According to reports, 13 people have been shot since Friday, and the latest victim was reportedly shot while outside a friend’s home on Monday just after 10am.
According to witnesses who spoke to The Star, the young man was shot more than eight times, with six bullets missing him and two hitting his chest, causing temporary lung failure.
Speaking to this publication, the mother said that she was grateful to God and her neighbours for having acted swiftly and preventing the death of her youngest child. Both the mother and the son, as well as friends and witnesses, refused to have their identities revealed for fear of reprisals.
“We are not safe around here. We can’t even go to the shops any more, and anything can happen to me, and I could get killed while in the house, but I am glad that my son is recovering, and the doctor has assured me that he will come through, and I was able to speak with him today } I just thank God. He is stable now.
“The reports that he had died have been depressing, with my son’s face being splashed all over social media. It is frustrating to receive messages of condolence from friends and relatives when you know that this could have been true.
“He could have died, but I know that my son is not a gangster. He has never been a gangster, and for older people to involve children and label them gangsters is not okay. Something must be done to stop this gang violence and involving children in gang wars when they are just children,” the distraught mother said.
Yesterday, The Star reported a strong police presence in the area following Monday’s shooting, which was preceded by the gunning down of one of the reported gang leaders in the area.
This comes after Gauteng police commissioner, Lieutenant-General Elias Mawela, deployed the police’s Anti-Gang Unit and officers from several other units in Westbury, amid rising levels of violence and shootings in the area.
The additional officers are from the provincial and district crime-intelligence units, Public Order Police, Technical Response Team, K9 Unit, and Johannesburg Metropolitan Police Department.
It is reported that the new wave of gun violence is related to the recent shooting death of Keenan Ebrahim, who was killed in an apparent hit while driving in Constantia Kloof. The 38-year-old was alleged to have been the leader of the Fast Guns gang.
However, some members of the community have blamed the lack of police visibility and lack of job opportunities for the youth as being among the reasons crime continues unabated.
“These killings and shootings could have been avoided had we had authoritative law enforcement, job opportunities and other socially uplifting activities in the community.
“Another problem is that the people around here are not united, and there are a lot of people who fuel violence through drugs and guns around here. We have a community centre that is not being utilised, while children and unemployed young people roam the streets without any outlets for their upliftment,“ one community leader said.
The Star