Brakpan North residents rattled by consecutive nights of gunfire

Brakpan police have come under attack from residents for failing to take action against mourners firing guns in the suburbs.

According to Brakpan North residents, there has been repeated gunfire in the area over the last few nights with no response from SAPS.

“We had idiots letting off firearms on Tuesday, apparently for a funeral,” said a Mckenzie Street resident.

Most of the shots were reportedly fired from an address along Hospital Road. There have also been reports about shots being fired in Roux Street.

The Brakpan Herald understands a memorial service for a political official was held at the Brakpan Indoor Sports Centre on Wednesday.

Shots were also allegedly fired in the vicinity of the centre following the service.

“The people were singing and marching,” wrote a concerned reader in an email to the Herald. The reader stated he was at the centre on Wednesday at around 18:00 for karate class.

Classes for various sporting codes are held at the centre, many of which are attended by children.

“Several gunshots were fired with different guns. They even fired an automatic gun. I didn’t count each shot fired but I’m sure they fired more than 60 shots,” the reader explained.

“Since it’s so close to the police station I thought the police will come and see what’s going on.

“I know that it’s against the law to fire shots in public. The shots didn’t bother the police at all.

“It was scary to hear all these shots fired and no police to control the crowd.”

According to Brakpan SAPS communications officer Constable Audrey Buthelezi, police were summoned to a residential address along Hospital Road in Brakpan North on Wednesday evening regarding a group of people discharging firearms randomly.

“Upon arrival, the police established the people were firing blank rounds using air guns. After police interference, the cluster dispersed,” she said.

“CPF patrollers and law enforcers surveyed the situation and all was in order.”