Westbury, Johannesburg

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

Westbury
Westbury
Westbury
Coordinates: 26.1823267°S 27.9732248°E / -26.1823267; 27.9732248
CountrySouth Africa
ProvinceGauteng
MunicipalityCity of Johannesburg
Established1918
Area
 • Total1.03 km2 (0.40 sq mi)
Population
 (2011)[1]
 • Total13,461
 • Density13,000/km2 (34,000/sq mi)
Racial makeup (2011)
 • Black African9.95%
 • Coloured87.69%
 • Indian/Asian0.85%
 • White0.17%
 • Other1.41%
First languages (2011)
 • Afrikaans56.93%
 • English36.66%
 • Tswana1.31%
 • Zulu1.26%
 • Other3.84%
Time zoneUTC+2 (SAST)
Postal code (street)
2093
Area code011

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]  

References
  1. "Sub Place Westbury". Census 2011.
  2. Musiker, Naomi; Musiker, Reuben (2000). A Concise Historical Dictionary of Greater Johannesburg. Cape Town: Francolin. ISBN 1868590712.
  3. "Living and dying in Westbury hell | Sunday Times hosted by Press Reader". www.pressreader.com. Retrieved 2018-10-17.
  4. "UPDATE: Westbury mother killed in crossfire, child wounded | Westside Eldos". Westside Eldos. 2018-09-27. Retrieved 2018-10-17.
  5. "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. "Bullets fly in Westbury a day after Bheki Cele's visit". Retrieved 2018-10-17.
  10. "'Gangsters, here we come!' - police minister launches task team in Westbury". News24. Retrieved 2018-10-17.
  11. "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". www.pressreader.com. Retrieved 2018-10-17.
  18. Simelane, Bheki C. "#Westbury Shutdowm: Community violence as residents fight back against drugs, gangs and shootings". Daily Maverick. Retrieved 2018-10-17.
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