Bullet enters kitchen from railway

A resident of Pretoria West is still in shock after her narrow escape from death when a bullet was embedded in the chair she was sitting on in her kitchen.

Maggie Vos, her helper Dora Ramokoka and a neighbour Mary van Staden now fear for their lives as they claim the bullet coming from the railway went through Van Staden’s house into Vos’s chair.

“I heard a shot being fired from the railway. The the bullet came flying through my yard and landed in my neighbour’s kitchen. After the shot, she called me to ask if I was shooting at someone. I told her that that the shot came from the railway whereafter she told me that the bullet landed in her kitchen,” Van Staden said.

Both Van Staden and Vos were both having breakfast at the time of the incident. Ramokoka was busy cleaning the other side of the house.

“I was in the kitchen a few minutes before the shot was fired. I just heard a loud noise in the kitchen and went straight there. When I got to the kitchen, Maggie told me about the bullet,” Ramokoka explained.

According to Van Staden, her son heard someone at the railway screaming ‘stop’ minutes before the shot was fired. She also called the police.

“When the police got here they took the bullet and asked what we want them to do with it? I am not a police officer so how can I tell them what they should do?” an upset Van Staden told Rekord.

Vos said that she was lucky that she did not get shot. She explained that if she was not sitting with both her legs on the chair, the bullet would have probably gone into her leg.

“Next time someone might lose their life. I could have been shot in the leg. I even told my brother that we need to get another house and move out of here as we are no longer safe,” Vos said.

Van Staden also mentioned that the police left a piece of the bullet at the house. The police also did not tell them what would happen next.

Residents living in the area are concerned about the safety in the area claiming that Luttig Street has become a danger-zone and that they cannot leave their homes after six in the evening.

“It is very dangerous here with the people living and hiding near the railway. We have asked the police to patrol the area and Metrorail to clean the railway by cutting the tall grass, but we get no help from either of them,” Van Staden mentioned.

She also mentioned that people get robbed in their street and that a woman was strangled a while back on her way home from work.

“We called the police to come and help but they did not react. I once went to see the Pretoria West police station commander, Colonel Caroline Naidoo, about the crime in the area and she told me that they patrol the area but do not see any crime,” a puzzled Van Staden said.

The other problem residents are facing is criminals using the railway as a hideout. This poses a danger to their children.

An enquiry about the problems the residents are experiencing has been sent to the Pretoria West police and Rekord is awaiting their response. Metrorail could not be reached for comment.

Residents said that they would give Metrorail seven days to clean up the railway or take legal action against them.