By Palesa Matlala
- In Westbury, some teenagers are being paid R250 by gangs to kill rivals as poverty and joblessness worsen.
- Police say boys as young as 13 are being used as runners and hitmen while community leaders call for real opportunities.
The high cost of living and lack of opportunities are driving desperate young people in Westbury to take on hitman jobs – sometimes for just R250.
A resident told Scrolla.Africa that drug lords used to fight over street corners to sell their drugs, but now they are using young boys to do their dirty work.
“Because of the pandemic, people lost jobs and businesses closed. Things became hard and these young boys saw crime as a way to survive,” he said.
The resident said his nephew, who finished matric in 2024, now works as a car guard and earns about R120 on a good day. Two months ago, a gang member started demanding R100 a day from him at gunpoint.
His nephew tried moving to another shopping centre in Sophiatown but was tracked down, beaten and forced to keep paying.
Following a deadly shooting in Westbury on 21 October that left seven teenagers dead, including a 13-year-old, National Deputy Police Commissioner Fannie Masemola visited the community.
Masemola said children between 13 and 17 are being used as runners and killers by gang leaders. Many cases, he added, are withdrawn in court because the suspects are minors.
For residents, the problem is bigger than crime. “The painful thing is poverty,” the resident said. “These kids grow up with no role models. All they know is violence and survival.”
Pictured above: Police lights.
Image source: File
This story has been updated on Friday 24 October 2025 to remove a photo that featured a woman, for her protection.
