Residents of Alexandra are demanding urgent action to address violent crime after two students were shot and killed in the township on Monday.
The victims, aged 17 and 19, were students at Minerva Secondary School and Alexandra High School. They were shot along Alfred Nzo Street, opposite Madala Hostel.
Gauteng police spokesperson Dimakatso Nevhuhulwi confirmed that no arrests had been made at the time of publication and that the motive for the shooting remained unknown.
The killings have renewed concerns among residents about safety in Alexandra, with some calling for increased police visibility and better communication between police and the community.
Resident Vangile Dladla said residents no longer felt safe carrying out everyday activities.
“The crime in this area is completely out of hand. We are not even free to go to the shops,” Dladla said.
She said the area had experienced relatively lower levels of criminal activity over the past two years compared with the current situation.
“This is a serious problem that needs an urgent solution,” she said.
Another resident, Simon Khoza, called for more regular police patrols in the area.
Khoza accused police of not maintaining a strong presence in the streets and raised concerns about the response to crime scenes.
He also said poor communication between police and residents was contributing to the community’s concerns about rising violence.
The Democratic Alliance has also called for stronger measures to address violent crime in Alexandra and other parts of Johannesburg.
Councillor Solomon Maila, the DA’s Shadow MMC for Public Safety in the City of Johannesburg, said the party was concerned about violent crime affecting communities across the city.
Maila said the DA would push for the devolution of policing powers to the Johannesburg Metropolitan Police Department (JMPD) if the party took control of the city government.
He said this would allow the JMPD to investigate crimes and gather intelligence on criminal activity, particularly murder and violence against women, children and other vulnerable groups.
Maila said other measures proposed by the party include strengthening police-community partnerships, recruiting more officers to increase visibility and using technology such as drones, dashcams, body cameras and CCTV networks to support policing.
He also said the party would introduce lifestyle audits and integrity testing within the JMPD as part of efforts to address alleged corruption within the public safety structures.
Maila further criticised the current City of Johannesburg administration over what he described as instability within the Public Safety Department.
He claimed the city had failed to appoint a permanent Head of Department for Public Safety for four years and criticised the recent appointment to the position.
His comments are part of the DA’s political position on policing and the city’s public safety administration.
Meanwhile, police investigations into Monday’s shooting are continuing.
No suspects have been arrested and the motive remains unknown.
