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The Democratic Alliance (DA) in Gauteng is saddened by the news of a young police officer who was brutally killed in a shooting in Westbury earlier this week.

The Westbury, Eldorado Park, Riverlea, and Reiger Park communities have been held hostage by gangsterism. There is a continuous rise in brutal killings, with people being shot and killed on a daily basis.

The DA has visited all of these communities and the police stations involved. During these visits, we found a much deeper socio-economic problem that has led to these fatalities.

The DA has submitted various questions, and after months of oversight and discussions in the Community Safety oversight committee, we have finally managed to approve a motionto establish a committee of inquiry into the killings and the rise in gangsterism in the province.

The DA extends its condolences to the family of the young police officer who passed away as a result of yet another shooting.

I will be writing to the chairperson of the Community Safety Oversight Committee to bring to his attention the most recent brutal killings and request a formal timeline concerning the establishment of the committee of inquiry and the work it needs to do. This investigation needs to be prioritized. An end should be brought to all killings and gangsterism in this province.

Our residents in the communities hardest hit by gangsterism deserve to feel safe. We will continue to lobby for more resources to be allocated to our police stations to address the lack of crime prevention and improve crime intelligence so that gangsters can be prosecuted.

Issued by Crezane Bosch MPL - DA Gauteng Shadow MEC for Community Safety