Elsies River residents are fearing for their lives and safety as the area has turned into a “war zone”.
Gang violence has escalated recently, resulting in six people being killed at the weekend with another two innocent victims caught in crossfire on Monday.
Community WhatsApp groups have been on high alert warning people against entering or passing through Eureka Estate, also known as “White City” and Clarke Estate.
Police spokesperson Warrant Officer Joseph Swartbooi said Elsies River police are investigating cases of murder and attempted murder.
“Elsies River police responded to a complaint on Monday 17 February 2025. Upon arrival at the crime scene near Heathview court in Clarke Estate, they found the body of a 63-year-old man who sustained a gunshot wound.
“The victim was declared deceased on the scene by the medical personnel. A 15-year-old boy who also sustained a gunshot wound was transported to a nearby hospital for medical treatment. The unknown suspects who fled the scene are yet to be arrested”, Swartbooi said.
Moments later, a 50-second video surfaced online of men opening fire in broad daylight along 35th Street while vehicles passed by.
In the video, a group of men are seen running and shooting while ducking bullets from rivals. A man can be seen shooting continuously before reloading his firearm then proceeds to shoot before the group runs away.
A concerned mother from Eureka Estate said she is forced to keep her children out of school as it is too dangerous to leave the house.
The unnamed woman says: “We can’t even go to the shop because they stand on the corner with their guns, running up and down the road shooting at each other without looking where the innocent people are or if you are walking with a child. They don’t care.
“They keep shooting and it seems like it’s about territory. The police only come afterwards when everything is done. Here are no police vans patrolling.”
Chief Hamish Arries of the Elsies River Safety Initiative expressed alarm at the lack of proactive policing by SAPS and Law Enforcement, stating that despite promised reinforcements, police visibility is absent during shootings.
Imraahn Mukaddan, who used to head up the Elsies River Community Policing Forum (CPF), says volatile areas must be cordoned off and searched to remove guns and bullets from the streets.
Mukaddam described the experience of residents as a “war zone”, with children unsafe travelling to and from school.
He reports: “The dissolution of the CPF has paralysed community safety structures, leaving residents without a voice to convey concerns.
“Chief Arries appealed to the Provincial Commissioner General [Thembisile] Patekile to resolve the issue around the Elsies River Community Police Forum, stating that a full-scale gang war is looming and all hands are needed on deck.”
Daily Voice