"Ek’s nie ’n gangster nie." ("I am not a gangster.")

"Ek het twee kinnes." ("I have two kids.")

And still, even after this desperate plea, they pinned Leston down and emptied rounds into his head.

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On Sunday, 23rd February 2025 Majiet’s Supermarket & Butchery, standing in the heart of Elsies River’s so-called “war zone,” housed the brutal murder of Leston Prince—a devoted father, son, and entrepreneur. Majiet’s Supermarket & Butchery has been drenched in blood since its doors first opened—a known battleground for gang executions. But let’s be clear: Leston was NOT involved in gangsterism, and he held firm to this conviction until his last breath.

This is neither the first nor the last innocent life lost to a gang-war that blameless community members want no part of. In fact during the release of the 3rd quarterly crime statistics, Minister of Police, Senzo Mchunu revealed that between October and December 2024, there were 263 gang-related murders, with areas like Bishop Lavis, Mitchells Plain, Kleinvlei, Delft, and Elsies River collectively accounting for 135 of these cases. 

The streets are terrorised not just by gangsters but by the complete failure of those who are supposed to protect us. How many times have we heard about promised reinforcements? About so-called operations to "clean up" the area? And yet, when the gunfire starts, the police are nowhere to be found. Instead of being a force for justice, corruption runs deep in SAPS, officers turn a blind eye, or worse, they line their pockets while our people bleed out in the streets.

We cannot keep pretending this is normal. We cannot keep burying fathers, sons, daughters, and mothers while the government offers nothing but empty words.

We demand action:

🚨 An immediate crackdown on police corruption—no more dirty cops, no more backdoor deals.

🚨 Permanent police patrols and high-visibility policing—not just for show, but real, active enforcement.

🚨 Stop-and-search operations in red-zoned areas—take the guns and drugs off our streets.
🚨 Community protection strategies—gangs are not untouchable, but right now, they act like they are.

Elsies River is not a lost cause, but it will be if we continue to let corruption and negligence rule. The time for silence is over. 

We demand accountability. We demand justice. We demand our safety back.