24/05/2026
This is beautiful Ottery. A place I fell in love with for over a decade.
A community full of love for 1 another, but also a lot of Social Ills. Sadly also a place where many, many people, children lost their lives due to the hands of man.
Currently a very big RED ZONE 💔. Kids cannot play outside, having to duck and dive on their way to school and on their way home. Parents having to ask "Is it safe to come in. I'm on my way from work". A Community in Trauma and Fear. Also a Community where anger lingers. Sleeping on their floors instead of their beds. A community who cannot remember when they had a decent night's rest without the sound of gunshots.
The majority of those flats, including the Newly beautiful built RDP homes. A new start for many. So many broken windows 💔 due to stray bullets 😔 😢.
Yesterday we had a Street Imbizo with SAPS and CPF. Most welcomed them. Some extremely angry. Lots were said. Lots of questions raised. Whilst standing in Edward Road where most shooting happens the community came out and although they were happy to see SAPS visibility, I could also sense their fear.
This is not a NORM. This is also not a LIFE to LIVE.
I Pray 🙏 🤲 that the Community of Ottery becomes as it was named plus ➕️ minus ➖️ a decade ago 🙏