Residents of the Soul City Informal Settlement near Kagiso are demanding justice after a 13-year-old boy was allegedly shot in the leg by police on Saturday afternoon. The boy’s parents and community members say tensions escalated when they confronted police officers, whom they accuse of frequently demanding bribes from foreign-owned spaza shop owners in the area.
The confrontation reportedly led to a scuffle, during which shots were fired. Mpho Mmoloke, the mother of the injured teenager, recounted the incident, saying she and her son were walking home when gunfire erupted. “I saw a police officer aiming at community members. I dropped to the ground, and my son ran. Moments later, I realized he’d been shot in the leg,” Mmoloke said. The boy was immediately taken to Leratong Hospital, where he remains in care and has since been taken to surgery.
The boy’s father, Benjamin Kgasu, held up his son’s blood-stained pants with two visible holes and presented a bullet cartridge he believes struck his son. Kgasu expressed frustration with the police’s response, alleging they initially downplayed the injury, claiming it was from a rubber bullet. “When we arrived at the police station to report it, the warrant officer insisted my son fell and wasn’t shot, even though we have a cartridge as evidence,” Kgasu said.
As the boy’s condition worsened, his parents say they grew increasingly concerned and are now awaiting the involvement of the Independent Police Investigative Directorate (IPID) to investigate the incident.
The family and community are calling for justice, saying they feel let down by those sworn to protect them.