By Palesa Matlala
- Reece Oliphant, 19, took a gap year after matric to help his father build a business so the family could move away from Westbury.
- Reece and a mother of a toddler were shot dead on 5 March 2026 in what Westbury residents believe was a gang attack.
Reece Oliphant finished matric and skipped university for one year. He had a plan: help his father grow a small marketing materials business, make enough money and get his family out of Westbury.
It did not work out that way.
On 5 March 2026, Reece was shot and killed when gunmen opened fire in the community. A mother of a toddler also died. Five others were wounded, including a 15-month-old baby.
The Oliphant family had moved to Westbury only a year before. A family member told Scrolla.Africa the business was meant to help them move to a safer area. “Reece was still unfamiliar with some of the surrounding areas,” the family member said.
The children of Westbury have big dreams. Pretty, 6, and Annelene Simmons, 9, want to compete in beauty pageants “like Our Mum and win for wearing a beautiful dress and shoes.”
Nithena Janson, 13, wants to play professional football, “but I can’t because teenage boys are the ones who get killed or are forced to join Westbury gangs,” she said.
Matthew Cook, GOOD national chairperson, said children caught in the crossfire “is a sign that the state has lost its grip on safety in that community.”
Acting Police Minister Firoz Cachalia visited affected families on Saturday and said police would intensify operations. Local councillor Marilyne Smouse is calling for the deployment of the South African National Defence Force (SANDF).
Pictured above: Reece Oliphant.
Image source: Supplied
