Crime in SA | March against gang violence

JOHANNESBURG - Eldorado Park residents are intensifying efforts to fight crime in the community.

They're camping outside the local police station hoping to get the attention of authorities following the gunning down of at least 13 people in two weeks. 

READ: Police intervention team to be beefed up in Eldorado Park

Residents vowed to shut it down if their demands are not met. 

Lloyd Leisegang said, “unfortunately, it’s painful to say that I lost my youngest son, and his brother is recovering as well as another friend of theirs is also recovering."

"A few other friends were injured during this ordeal. As a parent it’s sad to say that we’ve been held hostage, our freedom has been robbed, and we’d like to get back to normality”

Local councillor Dwain Ponsonby said, “13 shootings in two weeks, that explains itself. We had a protest on Sunday, Monday morning we had another death."

"We buried two gunned down boys on Sunday. We were standing in the main road having a guard of honor, and yes, Monday morning again. So it shows that policing in the area needs to be beefed up”

Anti-drug and social activist Dereleen James said, “because SAPS doesn’t want to be out there in the community, we will come to SAPS so that we feel protected. So we have been camping out here since Monday, our campaign then ends tomorrow. We then move on to phase two of the campaign."

"We have been peaceful out here, we have been protesting, an the main objective we want the premier to come out today and come and address us”

Johannesburg Public Safety MMC David Tembe said, “we will never win crime ourselves, because we are working with SAPS, we’re appointed in terms of the SAPS act. But then the most important people is the community."

"These people who are carrying guns, the community knows them. These are their children, their cousins and everybody else. They know them. So they must come out and say that these are the people who are doing it.”