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‘We Owe Westbury Better’: Joburg’s Forgotten Suburb Caught in a Cape Flats-Style Crisis

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October 23, 2025

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‘We Owe Westbury Better’: Joburg’s Forgotten Suburb on the Brink

For many in Westbury, Johannesburg, life has become a battle for survival. The sound of gunfire has replaced laughter in the streets, and fear has become as common as the drugs that fuel the violence.
This week’s deadly gang-related shooting, which left two teenagers dead and four others wounded, has reignited painful conversations about whether Westbury is turning into Gauteng’s version of the Cape Flats.

Community leaders and safety advocates say the warning signs have been flashing for years. Now, the crisis is unfolding in real time and South Africa is watching another community fall into the same deadly cycle of drugs, guns, and silence.

“Westbury Is Starting to Mirror the Cape Flats”

According to Action Society spokesperson Juanita du Preez, Westbury is showing an alarming resemblance to Cape Town’s most dangerous suburbs.

“Just as in the Cape Flats, there’s a growing culture of silence and fear,” Du Preez said. “People know who the gangsters are but are too scared to speak out. Others feel like the state is simply absent.”

She warned that Westbury’s social fabric is unravelling, with gang culture and drug economies filling the void left by weak policing and limited youth opportunities.

“Violence becomes the backdrop of daily life when the state’s presence is erratic,” she said. “We owe Westbury better.”

The Latest Shooting: Two Teenagers Killed

The latest tragedy unfolded when a group of six teens, aged between 14 and 19, were gunned down by three suspects allegedly linked to a rival gang. Two of them, both school-aged boys died on the scene, while four others were rushed to hospital.

Local security companies and residents say the attack was not random. It was part of a turf war between long-standing rival gangs that have been fighting for control of the local drug trade.

The parallels to the Cape Flats are undeniable: young lives cut short, families living in fear, and a police system stretched too thin to respond effectively.

Fear, Silence, and Distrust

In the aftermath, the community is grieving, but also terrified.
Residents told local reporters that they’re afraid to name the shooters because gang members walk freely through the neighbourhood, confident that no one will dare speak up.

“Even when the pastor walks past, they’re sitting outside, laughing,” said one resident. “We call the police, and nothing happens.”

Du Preez said that the lack of trust between the police and community members is one of the most dangerous factors at play.
“There are serious allegations of police corruption and complicity, and these must be investigated,” she said. “If people can’t trust the police, the gangs win.”

Experts Warn: “The State Is Failing Its Children”

Criminal law expert Cornelia van Graan described the situation as a “collapse of safety and community trust,” warning that the state is constitutionally obligated to protect vulnerable groups like children.

Rural criminologist Witness Maluleka added that Westbury’s decay mirrors what happened in the Cape Flats years ago and that officials ignored the warning signs.
“Children here are being caught in the web of drugs, guns, and alcohol,” he said. “We’re seeing a new generation being lost to gangsterism.”

Maluleka called for urgent new strategies, saying the current crime-fighting approach is “ineffective, politicised, and riddled with corruption.”

“It’s not just about arresting gangsters, it’s about tackling why young people join gangs in the first place,” he said. “That means jobs, education, and safety at home.”

The Numbers Tell the Story

Between October and December 2024, a staggering 90% of South Africa’s gang-related murders took place in the Western Cape, according to private investigator Mike Bolhuis. But experts warn that Gauteng is rapidly catching up.

AfriForum’s community safety head, Jacques Broodryk, said the situation in Westbury is “the direct result of years of state failure.”
“Illegal guns are everywhere,” he said. “Communities like Westbury are living under siege because government hasn’t dismantled organised criminal networks or controlled firearm flow.”

A Cry for Change, Before It’s Too Late

For decades, Westbury has been known as a tight-knit, working-class community. Families who grew up here remember open doors and shared meals, but now, many live behind burglar bars and curfews.

Residents say they don’t want pity. They want presence, from the police, from government, and from the leaders who promised to protect them.

Action Society has called for: