Westbury, Johannesburg

Last updated
Westbury
South Africa Gauteng location map.svg
Red pog.svg
Westbury
South Africa adm location map.svg
Red pog.svg
Westbury
Coordinates: 26°10′56″S27°58′24″E / 26.1823267°S 27.9732248°E / -26.1823267; 27.9732248
Country South Africa
Province Gauteng
Municipality City of Johannesburg
Established1918
Area
[1]
 • Total
1.03 km2 (0.40 sq mi)
Population
 (2011) [1]
 • Total
13,461
 • Density13,000/km2 (34,000/sq mi)
Racial makeup (2011)
[1]
 •  Black African 9.95%
 •  Coloured 87.69%
 •  Indian/Asian 0.85%
 •  White 0.17%
 • Other1.41%
First languages (2011)
[1]
 •  Afrikaans 56.93%
 •  English 36.66%
 •  Tswana 1.31%
 •  Zulu 1.26%
 • Other3.84%
Time zone UTC+2 (SAST)
Postal code (street)
2093
Area code 011

Westbury is a suburb of Johannesburg, South Africa. It is located in the province of Gauteng. It is situated west of the Johannesburg CBD.

Contents

History

Prior to the discovery of gold on the Witwatersrand in 1886, the suburb lay on farmland called Newlands that lay on the original farms called Waterval and Middlefontein. [2] : 279  The suburb was established in May 1918 by the Johannesburg Town Council as an area for black residents and called it Newlands Location. [2] : 279  The residents of Newlands objected to the name and during July 1919 its name was changed to Western Native Townships. [2] : 279  It would undergo more name changes during Apartheid when it was declaimed as a black township on 2 January 1963 and proclaimed as the Western Coloured Township in July 1963 when forced removals were used to move coloured residents from Doornfontein and Pageview to this location. [2] : 279  By 1967 it had its last name change when it became Westbury. [2] : 279  Westbury is the first place black people could legally live in the City of Johannesburg.

It was built on a municipal landfill that discouraged whites from purchasing land on the adjacent Sophiatown, forcing the owner Herman Tobiansky to sell land indiscriminately to members of any race.

Local events

2018 protests

Protests were sparked by the death of Westbury resident, Heather Petersen, on 27 September 2018. She was caught in crossfire as she accompanied her 11 year old niece (daughter in some reports) to collect her school report. [3] [4] As one report explained

‘The fatal shooting was believed to be part of an ongoing war between rival gangs, who were importing Cape Town hitmen to do their killing. “They use the local guys to point out who they want killed,” said a police officer, who wished to remain anonymous. At stake was a lucrative drug trade that includes Cat, cheap heroin, crack cocaine and pure cocaine.’ [5]

Protests flared up the day after Petersen’s killing, with protestors vowing ‘to shut down the area to mourn her death and [they] called on government to deploy the army to clean up the drug-ridden area’. [6] Police fired rubber bullets at protestors, injuring one. [5] [7] The protests continued for several days, with protestors blocking roads and torching a bus station. [8]

On 2 October 2018, police minister Bheki Cele visited Westbury to engage with residents. [9] On 4 October 2018 he launched a ‘tactical task team’ to investigate. [10] On 5 October police arrested eight people for suspected gang-related crimes. [11] [12] On 10 October, two Sophiatown police officers were arrested on suspicion a corrupt relationship with criminals. [11] [13] On 14 October 2018 a man was arrested in the case of Heather Petersen’s murder. [14] [15]

Prominent gangs in the area - the Fast Guns and Varados - have a significant influence on everyday life. [9] [16] In the context of material deprivation, gangs provide opportunities and services to people such as ‘loans, paying for funerals, providing food and other welfare’. [17] Meanwhile, turf wars had resulted in ‘36 gang-related deaths in the past financial year and 33 in the current financial year’ according to the police minister, Bheki Cele speaking in October 2018. [10] Some estimates are higher; one activist, also speaking in October 2018, said that 900 people had been killed since 2014. [3] According to experts, the capacity of police to investigate gangs had been diminished as a result of restructuring. [5]

Party politics and racial identity shaped accounts of the situation. Some residents expressed the view that the government discriminates against, and has abandoned, coloureds. [18]  

Notable people

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cape Flats</span> Area of Cape Town, South Africa

The Cape Flats is an expansive, low-lying, flat area situated to the southeast of the central business district of Cape Town. The Cape Flats is also the name of an administrative region of the City of Cape Town, which lies within the larger geographical area.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">South African Police Service</span> National police force of South Africa

The South African Police Service (SAPS) is the national police force of the Republic of South Africa. Its 1,154 police stations in South Africa are divided according to the provincial borders, and a Provincial Commissioner is appointed in each province. The nine Provincial Commissioners report directly to the National Commissioner. The head office is in the Wachthuis Building in Pretoria.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sophiatown</span> Suburb of Johannesburg

Sophiatown, also known as Sof'town or Kofifi, is a suburb of Johannesburg, South Africa. Sophiatown was a poor multi-racial area and a black cultural hub that was destroyed under apartheid. It produced some of South Africa's most famous writers, musicians, politicians and artists, like Father Huddleston, Can Themba, Bloke Modisane, Es'kia Mphahlele, Arthur Maimane, Todd Matshikiza, Nat Nakasa, Casey Motsisi, Dugmore Boetie, and Lewis Nkosi.

Meadowlands is a suburb of Soweto, Gauteng Province, South Africa. It was founded in the early 1950s during the apartheid era for black residents from Sophiatown.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Senekal</span> Place in Free State, South Africa

Senekal is a town situated on the banks of the Sand River in the eastern part of the Free State province of South Africa. It was named after Commandant FP Senekal. It is the second largest town in Setsoto Municipality after Ficksburg, the seat of Setsoto. Senekal lies on the N5 national road between Winburg on the west and Bethlehem to the east. It has two townships, Matwabeng and OR Tambo Section, the latter being the latest, largest and fastest growing.

Ferreirasdorp is an inner-city suburb of Johannesburg, South Africa located in Region F of the City of Johannesburg Metropolitan Municipality.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pageview, Johannesburg</span> Place in Gauteng, South Africa

Pageview is a suburb of Johannesburg, South Africa. It is located in Region F of the City of Johannesburg Metropolitan Municipality. Populated by non-whites, predominantly Indians, until the 1970s, it was one of two adjacent suburbs commonly known as Fietas.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Crime in South Africa</span>

Crime in South Africa includes all violent and non-violent crimes that take place in the country of South Africa, or otherwise within its jurisdiction. When compared to other countries, South Africa has notably high rates of violent crime and has a reputation for consistently having one of the highest murder rates in the world. The country also experiences high rates of organised crime relative to other countries.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Don Mattera</span> South African poet and author (1935–2022)

Donato Francisco Mattera, better known as Don Mattera, was a South African poet and author.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bheki Cele</span> South African minister of police

Bhekokwakhe "Bheki" Hamilton Cele was the South African Minister of Police from February 2018 to 17 June 2024. He was National Commissioner of the South African Police Service for two years, until misconduct allegations led to his suspension in October 2011 and removal in June 2012. He has also served as Deputy Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, on the KwaZulu-Natal Executive Council, and in the KwaZulu-Natal Provincial Legislature. He is a member of the National Executive Committee of the African National Congress, and was imprisoned on Robben Island during apartheid.

South Africa has been dubbed "the protest capital of the world", with one of the highest rates of public protests in the world.

Rahima Moosa Mother and Child Hospital is a maternity hospital in Coronationville, Johannesburg, South Africa. Prior to 2008, it was known as the Coronation Hospital.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lennit Max</span> South African politician

Lennit Hendry Max is a South African politician, advocate and police officer who served as a Member of the Western Cape Provincial Parliament, as Shadow Deputy Minister of Correctional Services (2010–2014), as Member of the National Assembly (2010–2014) and as Western Cape Provincial Minister of Community Safety (2009–2010).

The 2019 service delivery protests refers to a series of protests and civil disturbances taking place across urban areas of South Africa related to poor service delivery that started in Alexandra on 3 April 2019.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Westdene, Johannesburg</span> Place in Gauteng, South Africa

Westdene is a suburb of Johannesburg, South Africa. Westdene lies between the historic suburb of Sophiatown and Melville with the Melville Koppies nature reserve to the north of the suburb. Westdene derives its name from its location, literally meaning west-valley. 'West' since it is located west of the city centre and with 'dene' derived from the Old English denu, meaning valley.

The 2019 Johannesburg riots occurred in the South African city of Johannesburg from 1–5 September 2019, leading to the deaths of at least seven people. The riots were xenophobic in nature, targeting foreign nationals from other African countries. Retaliatory actions by rioters in other African nations was taken against South African brands. The South African Institute of Race Relations stated that the riots were similar in nature and origin to the 2008 xenophobic riots that also occurred in Johannesburg.

Nathaniel “Lockie” Julies, a 16 year-old boy with down syndrome, was fatally shot allegedly by South African Police Service (SAPS) officers Sergeant Simon ‘Scorpion’ Ndyalvane and Constable Caylene Whiteboy on the 26 August 2020. A third suspect, Detective Voster Netshiongolo, appeared before the Pretoria Magistrate’s Court. Julies was shot meters away from his home in the Eldorado Park area of Johannesburg, Gauteng.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Killing of Brendin Horner</span> October killing of a farm manager in Paul Roux, Free State

Brendin 'Choppie' Horner was a 21-year-old South African farm manager for the Bloukruin Estate at Paul Roux, Free State, who was killed by a suspected stock thief or thieves. His body was recovered at DeRots farm outside Paul Roux, and two suspects were taken into custody. Horner's death heightened tensions in South Africa's ongoing farm attacks situation, and the first appearances of the two suspects at Senekal's Magistrate's Court was accompanied by protest action by political and civil rights groups, as well as far right groups that alleged Horner's murder was an example of the White genocide conspiracy theory.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2021 South African unrest</span> Riots after Jacob Zumas imprisonment, 9 to 18 July 2021

The 2021 South African unrest, also known as the July 2021 riots, the Zuma unrest or Zuma riots, was a wave of civil unrest that occurred in South Africa's KwaZulu-Natal and Gauteng provinces from 9 to 18 July 2021, sparked by the imprisonment of former President Jacob Zuma for contempt of court. Resulting protests against the incarceration triggered wider rioting and looting, much of it said to be undertaken by people not in support of Zuma and fuelled by job layoffs and economic inequality worsened by the COVID-19 pandemic policies. The unrest began in the province of KwaZulu-Natal on the evening of 9 July, and spread to the province of Gauteng on the evening of 11 July, and was the worst violence that South Africa had experienced since the end of Apartheid.

Ian Cameron is a South African politician from the Democratic Alliance who was elected to the Parliament of South Africa in the 2024 South African general election. He is also a civic activist and the Director of Community Safety at Action Society, a non-profit organization focused on assisting victims of violent or hate crimes who cannot afford legal counsel. Action Society was officially opened in 2021, primarily focusing on working for reform in the justice system, especially regarding gender-based violence.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 "Sub Place Westbury". Census 2011.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 Musiker, Naomi; Musiker, Reuben (2000). A Concise Historical Dictionary of Greater Johannesburg. Cape Town: Francolin. ISBN   1868590712.
  3. 1 2 "Living and dying in Westbury hell | Sunday Times hosted by Press Reader" . Retrieved 2018-10-17– via PressReader.
  4. ↑ "UPDATE: Westbury mother killed in crossfire, child wounded | Westside Eldos". Westside Eldos. 2018-09-27. Retrieved 2018-10-17.
  5. 1 2 3 "A 'losing battle' for gang-ravaged Westbury | Saturday Star" . Retrieved 2018-10-17.
  6. ↑ "Bheki Cele to visit Westbury as residents' anger boils over" . Retrieved 2018-10-17.
  7. ↑ "From the front lines | Westside Eldos". Westside Eldos. 2018-09-28. Retrieved 2018-10-17.
  8. ↑ "#WestburyProtest: Bus station torched overnight as anger continues to boil | IOL News" . Retrieved 2018-10-17.
  9. 1 2 "Bullets fly in Westbury a day after Bheki Cele's visit" . Retrieved 2018-10-17.
  10. 1 2 "'Gangsters, here we come!' - police minister launches task team in Westbury". News24. Retrieved 2018-10-17.
  11. 1 2 "Westbury police arrested for alleged murder". SAnews. 2018-10-11. Retrieved 2018-10-17.
  12. ↑ "Eight most wanted suspects arrested in Westbury". eNCA. Retrieved 2018-10-17.
  13. ↑ "2 Westbury police officers arrested for allegedly burying murder evidence". News24. Retrieved 2018-10-17.
  14. ↑ "Man arrested in connection with Westbury killing" . Retrieved 2018-10-17.
  15. ↑ "Another arrest in connection with Westbury mother's murder". News24. Retrieved 2018-10-17.
  16. ↑ Staff Reporter. "Johannesburg's boyz in the 'hood". The M&G Online. Retrieved 2018-10-17.
  17. ↑ "Living and dying in Westbury Hell | Sunday Times hosted by Press Reader" . Retrieved 2018-10-17– via PressReader.
  18. ↑ Simelane, Bheki C. "#Westbury Shutdowm: Community violence as residents fight back against drugs, gangs and shootings". Daily Maverick. Retrieved 2018-10-17.