Westbury residents call for Bheki Cele as clashes with police continue

Residents in Westbury have demanded that police minister Bheki Cele come to the area and speak to them as unrest continues. 

Clashes between police and residents have been ongoing since last week. 

Residents have been pelting police officers with rocks and petrol bombs. 

“We want Bheki Cele to come here and address us. We don’t want these police here because they are useless. Where were they when they were shooting innocent people,” said Maggie Cloete. 

Johannesburg’s Westbury community was met with police’s tear gas and rubber bullets after they took to the streets in protest against gangsterism and crime in their community on October 1 2018. The protest action came after a woman was shot and killed by a stray bullet on a street in broad daylight, allegedly during a battle between two rival gangs.

Last week, there were protests after a woman was killed and a 10-year-old child injured during a shooting suspected to be gang-related near the Rahima Moosa Mother and Child Hospital.

Police spokesperson Captain Kay Makhubele said they were attempting to contain the situation. 

“We are pushing them back with rubber bullets to prevent them from causing further mayhem. We are trying to make sure that residents are safe and we are calling for people to report police if they have problems,” Makhubele said. 

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