Westbury attack shows police failures to address gangsterism: FOSA

Civic movement, Forum for South Africa (FOSA) says the recent attack on teenagers in Westbury is further proof that police have no effective plan to combat gangsterism.

Two teenagers, aged 17 and 18, were killed and five others critically injured after gunmen ambushed them in what’s believed to be a gang-related shooting.

FOSA leader, Tebogo Mashilompane, says South Africa’s criminal justice system is riddled with loopholes — and the consequences are devastating.

He adds that excessive idle time and loitering among young people have become a breeding ground for crime and gang recruitment.

“Teenagers and school pupils today act without discipline or accountability because the ANC government removed structures that once maintained order in schools, yet failed to replace them with effective measures.

“FOSA calls for the reinforcement of juvenile correctional facilities to ensure that teenagers who commit serious crimes such as murder are rehabilitated through firm and structured correctional systems,” he added.

National Police Commissioner, Fannie Masemola,  says police are following possible leads in connection with the senseless killing, and are currently searching for four suspects.

Masemola has urged the community to come forward with any information that could assist in the investigation.

“It’s just a matter of time before we track down these teenagers. Our crime intelligence operatives, detectives and uniformed police are on the ground actively searching for these suspects at various areas of interest.”

The police commissioner says they are closing the net on the owners of the houses that are allegedly supplying drugs in the community.

“I have instructed the provincial commissioner of Gauteng to deal decisively with these lolly lounges where these children in all these hotspot areas are allegedly bunking school to sit and smoke drugs there at these lounges,” he said.

Masemola added that authorities are also investigating the source of the firearms and how children as young as 13 years old are gaining access to them.

The Commissioner expressed concern over a growing trend in which young teenagers are being used as runners by gangs, warning that this fuels the cycle of violence in communities.