A community in mourning after mass tarven shooting
Nomzamo Park informal settlement families call on government for immediate action during heart wrenching memorial service as families wait for answers.
Emotional scenes as families and the community of Nomzamo Park informal settlement attend the memorial service on Thursday, July 14, for victims that lost their lives in the tarven mass shooting over a week ago.
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The memorial led by the African National Congress (ANC) in ward 30 and Greater Johannesburg Region was part of the party’s visit in the area to pay tributes and send messages of support to the bereaved families who were in attendance.
The ANC in the province said the incident senseless and barbaric killing of innocent lives “represents a particularly dark chapter in the surging wave of violent crimes”
Member of the national Parliament Winnie Ngwenya told attendees the recent events in the country were saddening.
“We want to say to the families, be comforted even during this difficult time. We must pray for our country and the horrific scenes that are happening across the different provinces.
“We are calling for prayer. We have nothing but words of comfort and prayer for families here today,” Ngwengya shared in her address.”
Families of the deceased took turns paying tributes to their loved ones, recalling their last moments with some of the victims. Many used their address to call for justice and pleaded for government intervention to “hear their cries”.
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They also called for swift police investigations and arrests citing that they wanted the suspects behind the shooting to be apprehended before laying their loved ones to rest.
“We want to know who did this. We want to know why this happened. We cannot burry our loved ones without knowing the answers to these questions, without no one being arrested.”
“Another family representative said “we are asking the police and the government to attend to Nomzamo.
“The gun violence in our community has become too much of a norm, this has been happening for too long while no one responds to our plea. Today our children have died.”
Provincial Secretary Thembinkosi Nciza said they were there to stand in solidarity with the families in what he said was one of the worst moments that required everyone to come together.
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Addressing some of the community concerns, Nciza said: “The biggest problem in our communities is unemployment. Government must prioritise job creation for the youth and women in particular.
Crime which won’t end unless there are job opportunities. Another problem , we also calling more police officers on the ground, people are not seeing police visibility because there are not there, we therefore call on for the recruitment of more police officers.”
Nciza also addressed on-going electricity problems in the area, alluding it to being one of the crime contributor. According to residents, the informal settlement has been without electricity for four years.
“We must stand together and fight for economic freedom in our lifetime. That means job creation, and an economy that serves the people,” he said.
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This place is named after an important figure in the ANC, and we must protect this place by all means. The legacy of Mam’ Winnie cannot have such a tragedy.
We must fight and ensure that those crimes are apprehended. Victims can not be buried while there are no suspects that have been arrested .”
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