Westbury residents tell of fear, anxiety amid spate of shootings
The grandmother of a four-year-old girl living in Westbury has detailed the psychological impact of shootings on the child’s mental health.
The woman, who told the media that she would like to remain anonymous, spoke during a visit by Police Minister Bheki Cele to the area on Thursday.
Cele’s visit follows a recent spate of shooting in the area, believed to be gang-related.
“She’s telling me right now; I can’t go to creche ma because if they shoot just one bullet I will lay,” the woman said.
“What about four bullets because there is too much shooting going on. She can say it with her own mouth. I mean if I don’t have to tell this child what to say, I don’t even have to tell this child what she said or where she said these things. Is she watching the news with her mom?
“But she can talk, she’s not in the creche today. This child has so much fear, it causes her so much anxiety. You know the sound of the gun shots is really traumatising. I walked with her, and a car passed which made a hard sound, then she said to me it’s such a bad sound which means if sounds will affect our children. We are not exaggerating; this is really going to cause mental illnesses in our community.”
Two people have died and 11 others were wounded in Westbury since Friday.
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It is believed that the shootings are related to the recent death of a gang leader.
Laverne Lodge, who lives in Westbury, said Cele’s visit “is nothing but a publicity stunt”.
“To me this doesn’t mean anything to us now that he has shown his face here. He just came here to show the media that he has shown face here in Westbury.”
Meanwhile, Cele promised residents that additional police officers would be deployed.
"We would like to say that this community deserves better than what is happening at the present moment. And when that peace is achieved after 2018 is achieved. We have to find ways of sustaining it."
