Security to be beefed up in Vilakazi St after shooting of restaurant manager: mayor
Johannesburg mayor Herman Mashaba has vowed to improve security in Soweto’s renowned Vilakazi street where a manager of a popular restaurant was shot dead in an attempted robbery last Sunday.
Mashaba was speaking at a memorial service for Khwesi Hudson‚ 60‚ who was killed at the Sakhumzi Restaurant when two men allegedly tried to force their way into the eatery after being informed that the restaurant had already closed for the night.
“It’s a very difficult moment to be here. It’s a moment filled with mixed emotions‚ emotions with anger and emotions of anxiety. It is for this reason I’m here as the first citizen of the city to come here and express and convey my anger taking this to be tantamount to treason because this street contributes to extraordinary to the success of our county‚” said Mashaba.
Earlier in the week‚ Mashaba met restaurant owner Sakhumzi Maqubela and other local business owners to discuss safety issues around this internationally-renowned tourist attraction.
“Well call on all of you as residents of Soweto and greater Johannesburg to assist us to deal with this evil. Vilakazi Street is a signature product with a very loud appeal to both local and international visitors resulting in very highly economic value for Soweto‚ Gauteng and South Africa‚” added Mashaba.
Hudson‚ who was born on July 24 1956 in Ghana‚ leaves behind two sons — Kojo‚ 26‚ and Kofi‚ 19 — and a daughter‚ Phila Ngcula‚ 29.
He attained a Bachelor of Arts in Communications and completed his post-graduate qualification in journalism in 1983. A year later he moved to South Africa to pursue a teaching career. He taught at Cofimvaba Primary School as well as Daliwonga High School in Covimvaba‚ Eastern Cape.
Hudson officially joined the restaurant in 2015 to help expand the business.
Mashaba explained that part of the plan to beef up security included the installation of CCTV equipment and increased police visibility.
Gauteng police spokesperson Captain Kay Makhubele said the perpetrators were still at large.