Video footage shows how the Wentworth area has become a war zone, as shootings have escalated in KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) over the past week.
Gunshots, which sounded like they came from a high-caliber automatic rifle, rang in the air in Wentworth on Friday. The footage, taken from a flat window, shows how dangerous the area is at the moment.
Shootings on the rise in KZN
according to The Citizen’s sister publication Southern SunOne man was shot dead in a drive-by shooting on Croton Road, Wentworth, at around 2pm on Saturday.
Children walking home from school were seen screaming and running as bullets were fired nearby.
Tracey Williams, community leader, told Southern Sun one bullet missed a five-year-old child and entered a flat where a grandmother and a small child were.
Williams said even the police are in danger in the area.
“This is utter nonsense… We need more than just police in our community because of the vehicles being shot up, it shows the brazen lawlessness these shooters are committing. We need immediate intervention in Wentworth,” he said.
At least five people were killed in drive-by shootings in separate incidents in the province last week.
The opposition party slammed the police
The shooting has caught the attention of politicians in KZN, with opposition parties demanding answers from the police.
IFP KZN community security spokesperson Blessed Gwala accused the police of not having the capacity to stop the killings.
“In the case of the KZN police, there is no effective crime intelligence. This is the main reason why the police in this province cannot stop murders – they only react after shootings and when people have been killed,” he said.
Also read: KZN killings cause concern
The killing of a notorious gang leader
One of the high-profile victims of the shooting was Brandon ‘Puff’ Kalicharan, the leader of the 11th Street Gang. He is known for using drive-by shootings to kill his rivals.
Kalicharan, his wife and teenage daughter were killed on March 21, 2023 when their bakkie was sprayed with high caliber bullets on Peters Road in Springfield Park.
Kalicharan and his wife were pronounced dead at the scene. The daughter was found in critical condition and rushed to hospital. He later succumbed to his injuries.
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