Wentworth residents march ‘to end to weekly funerals’
Residents of Wentworth say they have had enough of the bloodshed tearing their community apart.
Hundreds of residents, religious leaders, and businesspeople took to the streets on Monday with makeshift coffins, led by a hearse.
They called for an end to gang violence, drug-related killings, and weekly funerals.
Organiser Darian Smith says this sends a clear message: they’re tired of burying their people.
" We no longer want to be burying our kids due to violence, gang wars, shootings and drug trade. We no longer want to do that. We no longer want to be every weekend or in the week, having a funeral, having to bury your child. We are making a statement that this is the lost child."
Smith says the marches are the community’s way of reclaiming their streets.
He says they are pushing for a stronger partnership with the police and more resources at their local station.
" What does it look like when we start to build bridges? What does it look like when we start to work handy-in-hand? What does it start to look like if we can all be part of the solution? And we came together with SAPS to say, SAPS is under-resourced.
"We don't have enough resources to be able to service the community, which at the present moment, and also for a very long time, has been violent. In a community with so much violence, how is it that we only have one van?"
Two weeks ago, a shooting claimed two lives in one of the many gang-related attacks in the area.
Smith says there needs to be accountability.
" How is it that we are able to hold our police station and also our other structures accountable? How do we hold them responsible? How do we as a community work hand in hand with them by reporting crimes, by not entertaining the drug lords, gangsters and really just kind of putting a stop to it."
The demonstration ended at the Women of Wentworth Centre, where the Wentworth Rise Against Violence campaign was launched.
A memorandum was handed to the local police commander, calling for more resources, community training, and workshops to help residents fight crime together.
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