#KZNHeroes: Protests brought Westville community closer together

The community of Westville, in Durban, says the violent unrest that rocked the city – and KwaZulu-Natal more broadly – earlier this month, has only brought it closer together.

“If something positive has come out of this entire experience, it’s that this community has knitted tighter together, bringing every single race together,” Wayne East told The Citizen.

A martial arts expert and the head of his local neighbourhood watch, East knows well how to keep his fears at bay.

The first time he went out to join the community patrols after the unrest began, though, he took a moment to say goodbye to his family.

“I didn’t know what was coming,” he said.

Westville’s businesses were, in the end, largely spared from the rampant looting and destruction that tore through the city. But this was not for lack of trying on the part of the looters, who did mobilise on key routes and try to storm key stores, but were pushed back.

Residents across the board said what saved the area was the community itself.

Community patrols were very quickly set up with men and women of different races, ages and backgrounds all coming together to hold the line and to support those manning the patrols with food and supplies.

Rory Nossiter was among those who stepped up and this week described the experience as “the most amazing in my life”.

“I know my close neighbours well enough to greet them and we’ve probably shared a drink or two but I’ve met so many people here. And it’s blown my mind how we’ve all come together,” he said.

Nossiter said they even had a 79-year-old retired doctor among their ranks.

Chris Moodley – who has also been patrolling the area – echoed many of these sentiments, saying he had met more of his neighbours in the past week than in the 26 years he had been living in the area.

“And there’s been no racial issues. In Westville, we are made up of Indians, Africans, whites and coloured people. And this was really an opportunity for us to all get together,” he said.