CLOSE your door, stay inside, stay safe.
This was the message from Basotho residents to other people living in Angelo squatter camp, near Boksburg, Ekurhuleni. They said for too long a Basotho gang had been terrorising the residents.
On Monday, Angelo was turned into a battle zone as guns blazed and the two Basotho groups fought for territory.
Thandazile Qwabe, a community leader, said bad elements had ganged up with a Basotho gang from Slovo in Ramaphosa squatter camp.
Frightened residents locked themselves in their shacks, lying on the floor to protect themselves from bullets.
“It was like a war. I was on the floor praying. Who will take care of my children if I’m shot dead?” asked a resident.
“I could hear the bullets flying. It was scary.”
The police came but it was too much for them to handle. One cop narrowly escaped when a bullet missed him and struck a wall behind him.
As the dust settled, one member of the Basotho gang was dead and the rest were driven out of the squatter camp.
On Tuesday, the good Basotho stood guard at the hill near Angelo to make sure the bad guys weren’t coming back.
Colonel Daniel Baloyi from the Boksburg East police said it is not true that cops fear the gangs, however the area is dangerous as attackers can come from anywhere at any time.
