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LIVE UPDATES: #SouthAfricaIsBurning – Communities in Gauteng and KZN fight back against looting, unrest

By July 15, 2021 Add Comment Edit

Amid the widespread, deadly looting raging in certain areas of the country, there is outrage and disbelief among the majority of South Africans over the absence of an effective response from the government.

Community Policing Forums, taxi associations and citizens around the country are patrolling their neighbourhoods to guard against businesses being ransacked.

LIVE FEED:

  • 11.05pm

Professor Dasarath Chetty writes an open letter to President Cyril Ramaphosa imploring him to declare a state of emergency in KwaZulu-Natal saying the province was in turmoil. Read the full letter here

  • 8.40pm

Crime expert Chad Thomas said the South African Police Services (SAPS) should have included the private security industry from the onset of the violent attacks, as the government forces were too few. Read more here

Baca Juga

  • 7.20pm

Minister of Defence Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula says they have pushed up the number of soldiers deployed on the ground in KwaZulu-Natal and Gauteng to 25 000. Read more here

  • 6.00pm

AmaZulu King Misuzulu KaZwelithini has appealed for calm and for peace to be restored to the Zulu nation following days of violence and looting. Read more here

  • 5.00pm

President Cyril Ramaphosa says he is considering a request by opposition parties to increase the number of soldiers that have been deployed on the ground in Gauteng and KwaZulu-Natal. Read more here.

  • 4.55pm

South Africans have begun cleaning up and rebuilding towns affected by the violence and looting seen across the provinces of KwaZulu-Natal and Gauteng in the past few days. Read more here.

  • 4.48pm

South Africans are offering their services to help rebuild after days of looting and violence.

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VACCINE ALERT: Law enforcement officers have been sent to protect clinics that are rolling out Covid-19 vaccinations, as well as vaccine storage sites and schools amid unrest in KwaZulu-Natal and Gauteng, a news website reported. Vaccines were allegedly stolen from a site in Durban and pharmacies looted.

  • 1.10pm
  • 1.06pm

MALLS ON BRINK: Shopping malls and retail outlets in KwaZulu-Natal and Gauteng have easily suffered more than R10 billion worth of damage over the past few days, says Neil Gopal, chief executive of the South African Property Owners Association (Sapoa).

“Rebuilding may take two years depending on the extent and size of the centre. Some landlords may however decide to not rebuild as the risk is too high for future incidents.”

  • 1.03pm
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  • 11.50am

Taxi drivers guarding Vosloorus Mall in Ekurhuleni opened fire on looters on Wednesday morning, a news website reported.

A taxi association member said it was anarchy. “These thugs will not destroy our mall. Five hundred of our members have deployed throughout Katlehong and Vosloorus to defend the malls.”

  • 11.41am
  • 11.40am
  • 11.39am

’WHEN TRUCKS STOP, SA STOPS’: Gavin Kelly, CEO of the Road Freight Association, says a State of Emergency needs to be declared – immediately. ’’The time has come for the gloves to be taken off,’’ he said in a statement on Wednesday.

’’Road carries 80% of South Africa’s goods. Simply put: when trucks stop, South Africa stops. What started out as sporadic incidents on one or two routes, has now spread to the total supply chain, affecting the transport legs (all forms, whether local or long-haul), as well as destinations and originations. With the total supply chain now being impacted, the economic effects are far-reaching – but the collapse of the supply of all goods will be the immediate result.

’’The consumer will foot the bill for what has happened – through both indirect charges relating to the cost of logistics, the need to build reserves to repair damaged infrastructure and as goods become scarce. Supply and demand will dictate cost – and if supply cannot meet demand, demand will drive prices up.’’

  • 11.34am
  • 11.15am

LOOTERS ’RELEASED’: The DA has written to the KZN police commissioner over claims that a number of people arrested for looting have been released without being charged. This comes as a result of there being no food supplies at the Pinetown police station holding cells.

’’If this is taking place at Pinetown SAPS, then there is a very strong probability that it will take place at other police stations too,’’ the DA said.

  • 11.11am

DISREGARD FOR HEALTHCARE: Doctors Without Borders (MSF) said on Wednesday the ongoing social unrest in Gauteng and KZN is preventing the provision of essential healthcare delivery by blocking patients, medical staff and critical supplies from reaching facilities.

’’We call for immediate steps to safeguard the right to healthcare and safety of patients, healthcare workers, medical infrastructure and supplies to avert a drastic escalation of the current Covid-19-driven healthcare crisis.

’’Numerous reports and the experiences of MSF teams indicate the violent unrest is characterised by a blatant disregard for the basic sanctity of health facilities and medical staff.’’

  • 11.08am
  • 11am

TORCHING OF HOSPITAL PREVENTED: Police Minister Bheki Cele told the African News Agency (ANA) on Wednesday intelligence information gathered in advance by law enforcement agencies averted the burning of a hospital full of patients in Durban.

“A lot (of destruction) has happened, but unfortunately we do not talk about that which has not happened. For instance in KZN yesterday, they were planning to burn the hospital. Literally planning to burn the hospital with patients inside. That was averted. They were planning to burn the legislature and things like those in KZN.”

  • 10.59am
Picture: Facebook / Diepsloot Residents' Association

STOLEN LOOT RECOVERED: The Diepsloot Residents' Association in Johannesburg has been doing door-to-door operations to recover items that were looted by residents from a nearby shopping centre.

Akim Zulu, the secretary of the association, said: “When things happened, we had a meeting early in the morning and we decided to stay at Bambanani (mall) to stop community members from looting as there were some who wanted to go back to loot.

“We managed to get some information from residents, saying they saw some people running into the community from the mall. We then decided to a do door-to-door search to recover the items.”

  • 10.49am
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  • 10.28am

SUPPORT FOR FARMERS: The Southern African Agri Initiative said on Wednesday it will do everything it can to support families on their farms who are in distress, have to flee or are in danger of sustaining damages as a result of protests and looting.

Farmers have also been encouraged to remain in constant contact with each other and their organised agricultural structures, report incidents and keep their farms, families and workers safe.

  • 10.25am
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  • 10.16am

FUEL SHORTAGES: The announcement by SAPREF, South Africa’s largest fuel refinery, that it has suspended its operations due to force majeure will undoubtedly impact the already critical fuel situation in South Africa, and particularly in our inland provinces, the DA said in a statement.

’’This will create an increased demand for imported refined fuel, which will then need to be transported to the inland provinces – in all likelihood through the Transnet pipeline from Durban to Gauteng. Given that this pipeline crosses through some of the most contested terrain in terms of rioting and looting, and has in the past been the subject of numerous incidents of theft, it seems likely that this too will soon be closed.

’’Unless and until South Africa’s security situation normalises, this means that there are likely to be fuel shortages in the short to medium term, especially in Gauteng, North West, Limpopo and Mpumalanga.’’

  • 10.11am
  • 10.08am

MILK GOING TO WASTE: A dairy farmer in the Ixopo area of KwaZulu-Natal told a news website he had to throw away 28 000 litres of milk worth R160 000 because the transport company said it cannot risk its trucks on the roads.

  • 10.04am
  • 9.57am

HOSPITAL NETWORK REELING: The National Hospital Network (NHN), which represents 241 hospitals located in previously disadvantaged areas, said in a statement on Wednesday the impact of the looting and destruction is having dire consequences on hospitals and related healthcare services.

It is experiencing dire staff shortages, as staff cannot leave their places of residence or return safely after shifts and food supplies are running out at some hospitals.

The Melomed Richards Bay Hospital has lost communications capabilities due to their fibre lines being destroyed. The NHN has called on the government to provide on-site security to hospitals and to provide transportation escorts by SAPS/SANDF for oxygen and other medical supplies

The NHN is deeply concerned at the slow pace in getting the situation under control, saying the ’’collateral damage is simply unimaginable’’.

  • 9.39am

CAPITEC CONCERN: ’’We are seriously concerned about the situation and its impact on our clients, employees, society, and economy,’’ Capitec said in a statement.

’’Over 300 of our branches and ATMs are currently closed because of the unrest. ATMs in affected areas will not be supplied with cash or accept deposits until it is safe to do so. The safety of our clients and employees remains our top priority.’’

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  • 8.41am
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  • 8.18am

The Durban Chamber of Commerce and Industry has called on President Cyril Ramaphosa to ’’urgently’’ declare a state of emergency in KwaZulu-Natal as unrest spirals “out of control”. The chamber said businesses were still being looted and set alight.

  • 8.14am
  • 8.07am

African Union Commission chairperson Moussa Faki Mahamat has condemned the ongoing unrest and surge of violence which has left numerous people dead in South Africa, and called for an urgent restoration of peace and order in Africa’s economic powerhouse.

The African Union has warned that instability in South Africa will inevitably have a negative impact on the Southern Africa Development Community as a region.

  • 8am

Today at 10am, DA justice and constitutional development spokesperson Glynnis Breytenbach will lay criminal charges against Duduzile Zuma-Sambudla, Edward Zuma, Duduzane Zuma and EFF leader Julius Malema for incitement of violence.

  • 7.51am
  • 7.42am

The ongoing violence and looting in Gauteng and KwaZulu-Natal has claimed 72 lives so far. With mobs attacking malls, shops, small businesses, depots, roadside stalls and trucks, the number of arrests has risen to 1 234.

The government says the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) will oppose bail for those arrested for public violence and economic sabotage. The NPA was putting together special teams of prosecutors.

  • 7.28am
  • 7.20am
  • 7.17am

ActionSA president Herman Mashaba will brief the media and the South African people at 11am today on its plan to institute legal action to aid South Africans affected by the spate of looting and violence in Gauteng and KZN.

  • 7.16am

Thulani Dlomo, the former head of the spy agency's controversial Special Operations Unit, has been identified as one of the 12 people being investigated for fomenting violent unrest in KwaZulu-Natal following the arrest of former president Jacob Zuma, a news website reported.

  • 7.13am
  • 7.08am

The South African National Taxi Council (Santaco) in Tshwane has directed all taxi associations in the region to “go out in full force” to protect all shopping malls in the city against the widespread looting and vandalism that has left a trail of destruction.

  • 6.58am

In the midst of all the mayhem after uprisings hit the country, South Africans have been putting up their hands to help. In a Facebook group, RebuildSA - Volunteers Group, hundreds of ordinary South Africans from cleaners to builders have been asking this one question: How can I help? The group is about volunteers coming together to help businesses affected by the recent riots.

  • 6.42am
  • 6.40am

Cash-in-transit companies are stopping the collection and delivery of money to businesses and ATMs amid the looting which saw banks and ATMs broken into. This could trigger a devastating cash crisis, with essential goods also running out in certain areas due to the looting.

G4S, among others, announced that because of the volatile situation, it had “scaled back” cash collection and delivery services in affected areas in Gauteng and KwaZulu-Natal.

  • 6.39am
  • 6.36am

Residents from Birch Acres in Tembisa banded together with the Ekurhuleni Metro Police Department to protect their community from looters. “We are here to protect what is ours,” said community members, a news website reported.

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  • Wednesday, July 14,

Wed, 14 Jul 2021 21:33:15 GMTIOL Reporter

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