Fear grips 21st Ave residents amid gun violence
Residents of 21st Avenue in Alexandra are terrified as gunfire frequently pierces their roofs, forcing them to live in constant fear.
The Alexandra community is grappling with escalating gun violence, forcing residents to retreat into their homes at night. But residents living on 21st Avenue face a terrifying reality of bullets piercing through their roofs.
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A 47-year-old woman, who did not want to be identified, recounted how gunfire has repeatedly struck her home, with bullets piercing her roof on about six occasions. She detailed how, two years ago, bullets penetrated her roof, with one almost tearing through the ceiling above their heads as her family sat in the living room. “We were sitting in the dining room when the bullet went through my roof, but it got stuck in the ceiling. The ceiling cracked.” She said such incidents are alarmingly common on their street.
She said, when they reported the first incident two years ago, her father was given a case number, and the case was assigned an investigating officer, but they never got feedback about the progress of the investigation. She added that this was the reason why she did not report the similar incidents that followed.
“We hear gunshots almost every day. You are not safe outside, and you are not safe inside. You feel like death will follow you into the house.” She added that in April, another bullet went through the roof in her storeroom.
At least three other homes on the same street have experienced similar incidents. A 54-year-old woman shared how the fear of gun violence has altered her daily routine. “You will not leave at night. You knock off and you stay.” However, Gladys Timo, whose roof has not been penetrated by bullets, said she feels reassured by the presence of patrollers, and is less fearful of night-time violence.
Also read: Gun-free homes the aim of Gun-Free SA
Commander of visible policing (VISPOL) Colonel Jerry Phaswana said that he was unaware of the challenges faced by residents on 21st Avenue. He explained that when a case is opened, an officer would follow up, unless the complainants gave them incorrect numbers. “Sometimes people provide incorrect contact details, and the system is supposed to send a message to that number. So, they do not receive it. But there is a group where people post such things. There is no record of this issue, that we know of.” He stated that, without a case number, it would be difficult to share any information regarding the case.
In response to the rising crime in Alexandra, Phaswana noted that they have deployed patrollers from the Community Policing Forum and Crime Prevention Wardens to increase police visibility in the community.
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