Three people were shot and injured in a shooting incident that occurred in Cloetesville’s White City on 11 March. This is according to warrant officer Zenobia Sedeman from the Cloetesville South African Police Service (SAPS).
The incident was confirmed to have been gang-related by warrant officer Tania Wells-Allen, also from Cloetesville SAPS.
“[White City] is not an area known for gangsterism,” said Eugene Gordon, a community leader who lives in White City. The shooting was out of the ordinary for their neighbourhood, he said the day after the shooting.
A view of White City, the Cloetesville neighbourhood where a gang-related shooting incident occurred earlier this month, according to Tania Wells-Allen, warrant officer at Cloetesville South African Police Service (SAPS). PHOTO: Jared Moorgas
White City shooting
On the day of the incident, members of Cloetesville SAPS were on duty, doing evening patrols in the area, when they received a complaint of shots being fired in Bergsted Street, said Sedeman.
“On arrival on the scene, community members showed police officials the cartridges that [were] lying in the street,” said Sedeman, in correspondence with SMF News.
She said that officers proceeded to a victim who was caught in the crossfire and shot in the leg whilst parking her vehicle.
Two other victims were also shot during the incident, said Sedeman.
“I was at home listening to the news when I heard the shots,” said Gordon.
Wilma Khan, a member of Flat Watch, a neighbourhood watch group in Cloetesville, said she could hear the shots from her home in a neighbouring community outside of White City.
“Dis hartseer in Cloetesville, mens moet ma’ dood gaan hier [It’s heartbreaking in Cloetesville, we’ll just die here],” said Wilma Khan, a member of Flat Watch, a neighbourhood watch group in Cloetesville, referring to the safety in Cloetesville. PHOTO: Jared Moorgas
While Gordon said that there is no such thing as a safe area anywhere, he claimed that White City is a “reasonably safe area”.
“I send my kids to the shop without guarding them. They are safe,” said Gordon. “That is how we live here in this area.”
General safety in Cloetesville
However, general safety in the greater Cloetesville area has gotten worse, claimed Khan.
While shootings aren’t normal in White City, shootings in Cloetesville in general, are a daily occurrence, said Gordon.
“Mostly it is about turf war and leadership of the gangs,” said Gordon. “Most of the leaders are dead and everyone that tries to become a leader makes himself a target.”
Cloetesville has seen an increase in the number of shootings over the past five years, said Wells-Allen, in correspondence with SMF News.
Cloetesville has seen an increase in the number of shootings over the past five years. This is according to Tania Wells-Allen, warrant officer at Cloetesville South African Police Service (SAPS). PHOTO: Jared Moorgas