Gun violence keeps residents locked indoors

The heightened levels of crime in the country have had many changing how they live to ensure their safety.

From people imposing curfews to socialising indoors with locked gates and children not playing outside.

For the community of Westbury, west of Johannesburg, where gang violence has claimed the lives of many, mothers cannot even take their children for relaxed walks out of fear that they will be killed.

For years, the community has been plagued by gang violence with innocent people sometimes being caught in the crossfire, some even targeted in their yards.

This has caused fear among residents.

So edgy are the people that children can no longer play freely on the streets.

Voneigh Julius, a mother of three, who spoke to Sowetan through a locked gate of her mother's house, said crime has affected the freedom of her children.

"Our children can no longer play on the streets freely, even they are hyper aware and have become conditioned to run from danger. My seven-year-old will run into the house screaming "hulle gaan nou skiet" [They are about to shoot].

"They all know that we have to get into the house, close the doors and stay away from the windows."

Pupils from a primary school near Julius's home often take shelter at her house while they wait for their scholar patrol.

She said this was done to ensure that the children can have quick access to the house should a shooting occur.

"We have had cases before where shooting happened and the learners were running into our yards. One by one my mother was pulling them into the house for safety. Since then, my mother has opted that they wait in our yard and we keep the gate locked.

"We have witnessed people being shot, my brother even took a stray bullet to the hand. What would happen if a child was hit?

"This is the life we live. After 5pm, I make sure that I am not on the street. I cannot take my children for walks or allow them to just be themselves on the street."

She said e-hailing drivers do not work in the area as drivers were often targeted, robbed and sometimes even killed.

How they socialise has also become different since 2015 when gun violence became rife.

Callum April, 33, said young people do not attend parties or social events anymore.

"We'd rather be indoors, and if we are going to drink we do it indoors and maybe sleep over at each other's places to avoid being in the street," he said.

"It's quite boxing to live like this, but we have no choice; it's either that or we will be shot. Innocent people are being killed.

"We just stay in our houses, lock ourselves in and leave when necessary because even in broad daylight, anything can happen."

He said attending celebrations was risky as shooting are known to be random.

Another resident, Claud Botha, said while he loves enjoying a drink or two, he makes sure he leaves the local tavern by 7pm.

"There are guns in the hands of small children. The children have now determined our curfew as adults, so what do we do? we ... take our drinks home and stay there for our own safety. I am not going to act brave, I am scared of dying and that is the truth."