Shootings in Jackson informal settlement unsettle residents
The community believed it was on its own because no help was forthcoming.
The community of Jackson informal settlement lives in fear after a spate of shootings that claimed the lives of residents.
On August 19, about 13 people were shot in various spots in the area, and unconfirmed reports suggested six people died. Three weeks prior, five men were shot at, and one died.
Wiseman Chigayo, who lives in the area and is a manager for Cause 4 Paws, said they did not know who was behind the shootings. “You can never tell if it was an armed robbery or gang-related because they killed three spaza shop owners. Two were Mozambicans and one Somali.
“A shooting also happened toward me on June 5. At about 18:30, two guys came looking for me. When I went to see them at the gate. They told me their friend brought in a sick dog earlier. I told them no sick dog was brought in that day.
“One guy then reached for his waist and said, ‘Do you know this?’ I just saw a silver thing. He then shot at me from close range. Luckily, the steel gate was closed, and the bullet ricocheted and missed me. I dived for cover, and two more shots followed, and I didn’t know where they went.
“I called the Mondeor SAPS, but they didn’t come. The following day, when I went outside the gate, I found three cartridges and one live bullet. I called the police again, but they didn’t come. I still have those cartridges and the bullet,” explained Chigayo.
He said everyone in the area was scared, and they ensured that by 18:00, everyone was in the house, and the gates were locked.
“We are traumatised whenever we hear gunshots. And the funny part is we sometimes see police vans during the day. However, when we want them, they are nowhere to be found. If I had money, I would move out of this place because it is scary,” he said.
We contacted Lieutenant Colonel Mavela Masondo for comment, but the Southern Courier did not receive a response.
