Hanover Park community activist Yaseen Johaar has raised serious concerns following a deadly shooting that claimed the life of a 16-year-old boy on Thursday evening.
According to police, the teenager was rushed to hospital after sustaining a gunshot wound to the chest, but was declared dead on arrival. A second victim, a 23-year-old man, was also shot during the incident and suffered gunshot wounds to his arms and legs.
SAPS said the shooting occurred in Surran Road, Hanover Park, and that the circumstances surrounding the incident are still under investigation.
“Murder and attempted murder cases were registered for investigation,” police confirmed.
Johaar said the ongoing gun violence is robbing young people of their childhood, particularly during school holidays, when many are forced to stay indoors out of fear.
“It is so sad to see that this was an individual that had his whole life ahead of him,” he said.
“Our youth and school-goers cannot even enjoy their holidays. The expectation that they must stay indoors because of shootings and gang violence is deeply unfair.”
He added that the violence has become a recurring pattern during holiday periods, with little change year after year.
“This is not the first holiday period where shootings and gang violence have increased. It’s happening year in and year out. Nothing has changed,” Johaar said.
“For the number of bullets going off in the community, we are actually lucky that more innocent lives have not been lost.”
Johaar also appealed to law enforcement agencies to take stronger, more decisive action to protect communities, saying residents should no longer be blamed for the violence.
“The community has always been at the forefront in support of law and order and peace. Gone are the days when people ask, ‘Where is the community?’ The reality is that the community has always been supportive, but the systems and those in charge have failed our people,” he said.
Police investigations into the shooting are ongoing.
VOC News
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