Brackendowns residents are living in fear as gunfire linked to funerals at the nearby Kromvlei Cemetery continues to escalate.

They reported multiple incidents throughout November, including including incidents on November 22 and 23.
Another shooting was reported on November 1.

Residents say the gunfire often sounds extremely close to their homes, leaving them anxious and frustrated as they wait for intervention.

One of the affected residents, Sharlene Hutchison, who has lived in Brackendowns for several decades, says November has been the most frightening month she has experienced in her 33 years on Sabie Road.

“It has just been this last month that it has been going on. It happened on November 1. I was not at home. I was at the spa, but my daughter phoned me to check if I was alright because the shooting sounded so close to our house,” she said.

According to Hutchison, the situation has worsened.

“This past weekend again, it happened on Saturday, and on Sunday. Rapid gunfire is going on. It seems to be becoming the norm. The authorities were notified. What they are actually doing about it, we do not know.”

Bullets landing in homes

Residents across Sabie Road, Orange Street, Palawan Street, and Brackendowns Ext 1 have reported hearing gunshots or finding spent bullets in their homes.

Some residents have also had property damage caused by stray ammunition.

Hutchison says the gunfire has already caused visible damage to her home.

Her account shows how the family discovered the extent of the damage over several days.

She explained the first incident took place on November 1, just before 14:00.

“My husband heard the rapid gunfire. He also heard a noise outside in the front yard. At first, he did not see anything,” she said.

A week later, her husband noticed a dent in the bonnet of his car.

He told Hutchison it looked like something had fallen from above, but they did not immediately realise it was connected to the shooting.

The following weekend, while the family was away, their son came to feed the dogs. That was when he noticed a hole in the carport roof.

On November 17, the family discussed the damage again and began piecing the events together.

“My son said the hole was from the bullet. Then we noticed the garage door, and when we checked the ground, we found the bullet,” Hutchison said.

She sent photographs of the damage to a representative of CPS Security. The security company confirmed that they informed the police about the incident and sent CPS officers to the property.

“The officers left after a while because we were expecting the police to come. On Tuesday, I told them nobody had come. They seemed surprised and notified their control room.

“The police have not arrived to retrieve the bullet, she said.

In addition to Hutchison’s discovery, another resident in the area found a bullet inside her home.
Residents say this shows how close the gunfire is coming to families and pets.

Growing fear among residents

Community members say the fear has grown to the point where residents are considering taking the bullets found in their yards and homes directly to the police.

They hope the police can conduct ballistic tests to determine whether the firearms used are linked to other crimes in the area.

“It is scary. People are getting afraid. It is only a matter of time before one of these stray bullets hits somebody or an animal,” Hutchison said.

Is this going to be every weekend now?

Residents fear that the shootings will continue whenever funerals are held at the cemetery.

“We are trying to think now if this is going to be an every weekend thing with people doing funeral services at Kromvlei Cemetery and then deciding to shoot.

“It is coming from the direction of the cemetery. Sometimes it even sounds close, like they might be leaving the cemetery and then shooting as they drive back onto Kliprivier Drive.”

City and SAPS response pending

The City of Ekurhuleni and Brackendowns SAPS have been contacted for comment, and their response will be shared once received.

Residents say they hope authorities intervene before someone is seriously injured.

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