Families who have lost loved ones to gang-related violence joined Reiger Park residents in opposing bail for three men accused of killing four people in the township earlier this month.

The families, community members, the Community Policing Forum (CPF) and a police union gathered outside the Boksburg Magistrate’s Court on August 25 as Regan Collis (23), Jamal Meyer (24) and Alvino Crawford (27) returned for their formal bail application.

The trio face four counts of murder, attempted murder, two counts of robbery with aggravating circumstances and two counts of unlawful possession of firearms.

The charges relate to the August 7 shooting in Reiger Park that claimed the lives of Jaydin Magerman (27), Roleen Lessing (31), and Anti-Gang Unit members Constable Thapelo Tlomatsane (29) and Constable Sphiwe Sibeko (28).

But for many of those protesting outside court, the case represents far more than the latest deadly shooting.
They said the township had experienced a period of calm following the arrests and feared that releasing the accused could trigger renewed violence.

The State also raised concerns during the bail proceedings about possible retaliation and renewed violence should bail be granted.
Community member Debbie Boards, who lost a family member to gang violence, said residents were tired of seeing suspects arrested only to return to the community.

“It’s been a very, very difficult journey for the families of the two women killed and they are hoping for justice to be served for their loved ones,” she said.

Boards said the families who gathered outside court were also carrying the pain of previous killings and shootings.
“If you can see the list of the people who have been shot in the last seven months, it’s a long list. All the families that are here also want justice for what has happened, not just for the recent victims,” she said.

“There are a lot of families that lost their loved ones at the hands of gang violence. Even myself, I lost a family member due to these shootings and it’s a terrible ordeal to go through.”

She called on investigators to conduct a thorough investigation and build a strong case.
“We just want it to end. The perpetrators need to go and be locked up if they should be locked up, so that we can also have a peaceful life,” she said.

“It’s been very bad for years and we have gone through hell with all these shootings. We would really love to go back to having an ordinary life, living as part of South Africa. Currently, we are living as if we are part of another country where there are these unending wars.”

Lorraine Hartniech, another resident who joined the protest, said many of those standing outside court were themselves family members of people who had been killed in the township.

“All we want to see is that justice is being served so we can get our trust back in the court,” she said.
Hartniech said residents felt failed by a criminal justice system where suspects accused of serious crimes were sometimes released and allegedly returned to the same community.

“We are even scared to comment on Facebook because you don’t know when you will be the next target,” she said.
“We plead with the criminal justice system not to fail us again. We want to see results because we are trapped and held hostage in our own community.”

She said families were being forced to endure the pain of repeatedly losing young people to violence.

“It’s painful when you pick up the bodies of your children, one by one, week after week, on the streets,” said Hartniech.
For Claudette van Wyk, the protest was also personal. Her son was shot dead in January this year, yet she returned to court to stand alongside other families of the deceased and the wider community.

Another grieving mother, Annie Varric, said her 17-year-old son was shot in 2024 and that his case remains pending.
She said her son’s case was supposed to be finalised in June, but he was killed on his way home from school on June 8.

With her son now dead, she fears there may be no witnesses left to pursue the matter.
“That is why I’m here today. I also want to know who killed my son and why,” she said.
“Where do the bullets and weapons come from?”

During the bail proceedings, defence attorney Samkele Kuzani told the court that Collis had been allegedly tortured by police and forced to confess to the killings.

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The prosecution told the court they rely, among other evidence, on CCTV footage they obtained and an alleged confession and pointing-out. The admissibility and evidential weight of that material will ultimately be determined during the trial.

The defence has also applied for video footage from Collis’s home to be submitted and viewed by the court, arguing that it could support the accused’s alibis and cast doubt on their alleged involvement in the killings.

The court granted the application, and the footage is expected to be viewed when the bail proceedings resume.
The matter has been postponed to September 8. The State continues to oppose bail, and the three accused remain in custody.

For the families outside court, however, the wait for justice extends well beyond the latest case.
They say they want an end to the cycle of shootings that has left families grieving and residents fearful in their own community.

Also Read: Reiger Park killings: Video footage and alleged torture claims take centre stage in bail hearing