Durban - A Newlands East resident said it was God's grace that saved anyone from harm after the block of flats he lived in was peppered with bullet holes.
The resident, who wished to remain anonymous, of Mackerel Avenue resides in a flat overlooking a sports field on John Dory Drive. He said he heard noises early on Saturday morning and then the sound of gun shots in two long bursts. The flats are on higher ground with a bush acting as a buffer between the road and the sports field.
"I am lucky I did not go near the window to look at the grounds or go to the sink for a glass of water. The bullet would have hit my shoulder of chest. A bullet hit my kitchen burglar guard and ricocheted through the window pane. It has become a norm for people to shoot into the air at the grounds,"he said.
He said he did not phone the police neither did he report the matter because he lost faith in their response time and investigations.
Newlands East sports coordinator spokesperson Lucrecia Ryan said random gunshots was a concern from the sports field.
The bullet hole in the window of a flat in Mackerel Avenue, Newlands East. The block of flats overlooks the recreational sports ground on John Dory Drive. Picture supplied.
She said they were having the KZN Connect/Ubuntu 2019 Reconciliation Cup and night market this weekend and has requested an increase in police patrols.
She said the grounds needed to be fenced off and security guards should be patrolling to avoid further incidents.
Police spokesperson Colonel Thembeka Mbele reminded firearm owners that discharging a firearm in public is illegal.
“Anyone caught doing so, will be prosecuted. The bullet can strike an innocent person causing serious injury or death. Firearm owners can have his firearm license annulled. If any member of the public has information on this incident they should contact the police,”Mbele said.