Westbury ward councilor in western Johannesburg, Marilyn Smous, says she doesn’t believe promises to rid of the area of gang violence will bear any fruit.
Her comment comes after Acting Minister of Police, Firoz Cachalia, made the promise at a stakeholder engagement session with community leaders in Martindale, earlier on Monday.
He was joined by National Police Commissioner General Fanie Masemola and Gauteng Provincial Commissioner Tommy Mthombeni.
Cachalia said a plan has been put in place to deal with the ongoing violence in Westbury.
Just last month, two teenagers were shot dead and five others wounded following a gang-related shooting.
Smous says she believes that the only way to end the killings is for the army to be deployed to the community.
“To me, it was one of those sittings again. No solutions and it was one of the meetings we had prior. I hope that … and just last week I asked for the army to come out here and today I also mentioned that in my statement and I must tell you, the acting minister didn’t even answer me on that and I also called for the president to call a state of disaster and that is where we are in terms of Westbury and surroundings in our dying communities,” says Smous.
Video: Acting Police Minister Prof. Firoz Cachalia visits Westbury, Reiger Park
