‘I sent him to get milk and he never came back’- Westbury families count the cost of gun violence

For 77-year-old Winifred Nanchou, it began like any other day. In 2022, she sent her 24-year-old grandson, Gershwin Entilio, to buy milk. But he never returned. Gershwin was shot near a shop in Westbury.

Nanchou shared her story during a community imbizo in Westbury, hosted by Gun Free South Africa and the Gauteng Provincial Legislature’s portfolio committee on community safety, which brought together residents, police, faith leaders and politicians to address the impact of gun violence and discuss solutions.

Speaking to TimesLIVE, Nanchou recalled: “I had asked him to buy milk for me, but he never came back.” She explained that Gershwin, who was unemployed, had turned to theft and stole food and money from shops to provide for his two children.

“My grandson was no saint; he stole from the poor because he was trying to make a living. But he didn’t deserve to die like a dog,” she said.

Gershwin had once confided in his grandmother about a gang that tried to recruit him as a hitman. After he refused, they threatened his life. “They told him he had three days to live. On the third day, a Saturday, that’s when he died,” she recounted.

Though Nanchou was aware of her grandson’s criminal activities, she said he was always respectful towards her and kept that side of his life hidden. “He made sure not to bring guns or drugs into the house. He didn’t do things in front of me,” she said.

Gershwin’s death has changed everyday life for Nanchou and other residents in Westbury.

“We live in fear. By 4pm, our doors and gates are locked, and our kids are inside because we don’t want to become victims of premeditated murder,” she explained.

Four years later, Nanchou still mourns her grandson and is left with unanswered questions.

Captain November Masina from the Sophiatown police station highlighted the difficulty of getting communities to co-operate with police.

“Parents are not making our jobs easy. When we try to arrest someone, they’re often the first to protect their kids,” he said.

Tracing the origins of firearms used by gangs is also a challenge. “We can’t identify where criminals get their guns. They won’t reveal their suppliers,” he explained.

The tragedy of gun violence is not unique to Nanchou.

Bernita Smith, 63, lost her 21-year-old son Randell two months earlier.

Randell was in grade 10 when he was shot and killed five minutes from his home on June 30, the day of a nationwide march.

Bernita had been uneasy in the days leading up to his death, spending time in prayer. “Before my son died, I kept praying and asking God for his will to be done, though I didn’t know why,” she said.

On the day of his death, Randell told his mother he was going to visit a friend.

“Just five minutes after he left, I heard a gunshot and immediately knew he’d been shot,” she recalled.

When she arrived, she found him lying in a pool of blood. The streets were empty, and the police had already left the area. No one witnessed the shooting.

Bernita admitted her son was involved in gangs, although she never knew which one. She believed he was drawn in by his peers at school.

“When you’re a pupil, you’re automatically lured into a gang because there’s nothing else to do after school,” she said. “My child still hasn’t gotten any justice.”

Pastor Mark Jordan of El Salmo Ministry described how gun violence has left residents afraid to move freely in their own neighbourhood.

“Our community lives in fear. You have to watch your back everywhere you go,” he said.

Jordan said young people are often drawn into gangs by drugs, territorial disputes and unemployment.

He said gangs have created invisible borders, forcing families to think carefully about where they and their children can go.

“Some families are surrounded by gangs because their own children are involved, but they’re too afraid to speak out,” he said.

He highlighted unemployment as one of the community’s biggest challenges, with some youths looking up to drug dealers as role models.

“We need something that will mobilise our people and give these young boys a new focus on something relevant to their lives,” he said.

Dr Bandile Masuku, chairperson of the Gauteng portfolio committee on community safety, agreed that gun violence cannot be solved by the police alone.

“Police and ambulances can’t solve this on their own,” he said, stressing the need for collaboration with social development, sport and recreation, and education departments. Masuku said the committee would support efforts to create gun-free spaces, starting with schools and clinics as they are places where guns have no place.

He emphasised that progress would take time and require ongoing community involvement, awareness and accountability.

TimesLIVE