Johannesburg - ”We’re afraid for our children. This can’t carry on,” a concerned mother remarked after a shootout outside a school in Newclare, Joburg, on Thursday.
In an area rife with gang- and drug-related violence, parents said they were becoming increasingly worried.
Two people were injured in Thursday’s shooting, which was allegedly gang related.
“It was minutes before the kids were due to come out of school. They play here all the time - you can see them now, skipping and jumping,” said the mother, who asked to remain anonymous.
She was inside her flat praying when she heard several gunshots.
“My son was sitting outside with my granddaughter. A man who was injured called out his name just before he was shot.
“It could've been him or my granddaughter, I’m in shock,” she said.
“It’s the first shooting we’ve had in about two or three months. It quietened down after our big march against gang violence.”
Children of all ages were seen outside, at the exact spot where the shooting took place, playing games and holding skipping ropes.
Police scoured the area for evidence.
The woman’s husband was shot dead last year.
“He was a bystander, he wasn’t doing anything but he was caught in the crossfire. My children lost their father and I lost my husband. These shootings reopen the healing wounds,” the woman said, her voice cracking.
“How are we supposed to keep our children safe when this just doesn’t stop?”
Gauteng police spokesperson Captain Kay Makhubele said a gang leader and a taxi driver were injured.
“One sustained a gunshot to a leg and the other was shot in the upper body.
“The men then ran towards the school, where the shooting continued. Luckily none of the children at the school were hurt,” he said.
Makhubele said a case of attempted murder had been opened. “With the information we have received from witnesses and the like, we are following leads to find those responsible.”
@Lanc_02
The Star