Families who have lost loved ones to gang violence in Westbury say the arrival of soldiers initially brought a sense of relief to the community.
However, residents say that relief was short-lived, as members of the South African National Defence Force (SANDF) were only visible in the area for a day.
Community members are now calling for a more permanent military presence, warning that without sustained intervention more lives could be lost.
For many residents, the brief deployment has also raised difficult questions about whether earlier intervention could have prevented some of the recent killings.
Locals say gang-related violence has become part of daily life in the area, with shootings frequently reported in neighbourhood streets.
Standing in the same streets where several people have been killed, residents say the community needs a long-term solution rather than what they describe as a temporary show of force.
Families in Westbury say every gunshot now serves as a painful reminder that the next victim could be someone close to them.