Johannesburg – A local councillor in the Johannesburg suburb of Westbury has called for the deployment of the South African National Defence Force (SANDF) to restore law and order following a surge in gang-related violence that community leaders say has left the area “ungovernable”.
Ward 82 Councillor Marilyne Smouse told listeners on 702’s Clement Manyathela Show that the local police force had “failed to do their job of protecting civilians from the gang violence.”
Smouse was speaking from the Westbury Recreation Centre, where residents, police, and civil society groups had gathered to discuss solutions to the escalating violence.
She referred to a mass shooting in October that left two teenagers dead and five others wounded as evidence of how dire the situation has become.
“It is sad what is happening to our children…”
“Believe you me, nothing is being done – it feels like as if government is failing us,” Smouse said.
She further argued that even when protests erupt, police visibility spikes, but “not when it matters the most.
“Just on Friday, I was at the funeral of one of the boys. It was so sad that there was no police visibility, one van, and they know what is happening in our community,” she said.
“It is sad what is happening to our children…”
City of Joburg’s Councillor Marilyne Smouse from Ward 82 speaks to @TheRealClementM about the state of gang violence in Westbury. #TheCMShow #Westbury #GangViolence #702WalkTheTalk pic.twitter.com/nYZ89bfL68
— 702 (@Radio702) November 5, 2025
Residents and community leaders say gang violence, drug abuse, and illegal firearms have become so entrenched that local structures can no longer cope.
A recent government statement described the involvement of youth in the October shooting as “a devastating indictment of the current state of community safety and social cohesion in Westbury,” linking the violence to “the scourge of gang violence, drug trafficking and the proliferation of illegal firearms in the area.”
Police investigations revealed that four teenage suspects allegedly opened fire on a group of six teenagers, killing two. The youngest victim was just 13. As investigations continue, three additional suspects have been arrested, bringing the total to five – all facing murder and attempted murder charges. The youngest suspect is 17.
#Newzroom405‘s @Vee_Makhoali is in Westbury, Johannesburg, where two teenagers have been killed and four others hospitalised following a shooting incident. It’s believed that the shooting is gang-related. Police say that Crime Intelligence and the Anti-Gang Unit have been… pic.twitter.com/olzxX1aAdI
— Newzroom Afrika (@Newzroom405) October 21, 2025
Smouse said the situation now requires urgent national intervention. “To restore hope in the community, immediate intervention on the highest level is required,” she said.
Her call for SANDF deployment comes amid growing frustration over the slow pace of arrests, the perceived lack of police visibility, and the rising death toll in Westbury.
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Compiled by Lisabeal Nqamqhele
