There was mayhem in the Cape again yesterday as thugs stoned food trucks, burned tyres and rubbish in the street and looted shops.
Shops were raided in Heinz Park, Elsies River and Delft, while the R300 - near Stock Road and Jakes Gerwel Drive - was closed due to the violent riots.
Swift action by Law Enforcement officials prevented the looting of Watergate Mall in Mitchells Plain.
BOS: Mob causing mayhem on the R300, near Stock Road and Jakes Gerwel Drive. Picture: Henk Kruger/African News Agency (ANA).
“The issue is food,” said one angry rioter.
“People are not working, this was bound to happen.
“This lockdown was not well planned, we are hungry and no food truck will pass here.”
Wayne Dyason, City of Cape Town Law Enforcement spokesperson, said the mob shot at officers.
“Law Enforcement, Metro Police and SAPS were on the scene. Protesters fled into Heinz Park and New Woodlands. Live rounds were fired at officers,” he says.
SAPS and Law Enforcement had their hands full with protesters along the R300 near Mitchells Plain on Wednesday. Picture Henk Kruger/African News Agency (ANA).
Ahmed’s Shop was looted in Heinz Park, and the scared owner says: “I closed the shop when I realised there was unrest, they entered through the roof and took all the money I had today.”
National police spokesperson Brigadier Novela Potelwa said nine suspects were nabbed in total.
In Elsies River, a supermarket in Halt Road was looted by about 15 suspects who helped themselves to items valued at R3 000.
Police arrested four suspects on charges of theft.
Protesters along the R300 near Mitchells Plain on Wednesday. Video: Henk Kruger/African News Agency (ANA).
An attempt to break into a closed butchery in area was thwarted as police dispersed the crowd.
Police patrolling in Delft South responded to an incident at 11.30am where 50 suspects stormed a supermarket and made off with groceries worth R4 000.
“Police dispersed a large crowd that had gathered nearby,” says Potelwa.
Mense stealing cooldrinks from a Delft shop. Video supplied
She says on Tuesday, in Keerboom Street and on Delft Main Road, shops were also looted and cops arrested five suspects.
Yesterday in Samora Machel, police prevented a group from looting a delivery truck after barricades were placed on the road at about 10.30am.
Potelwa says: “Suspects were dispersed by police and they ran into near Heinz Park. A move by the group to head towards the nearby Watergate Mall was also prevented. Four suspects were arrested for public violence.”
She says in Vredenburg on the West Coast, police were pelted with stones by between 300 and 400 residents from the Witteklip township at 10am.
The group had earlier tried to storm a local spaza shop after they complained about not getting food parcels.
Cops arrested a man who looted a spaza shop in Delft. Picture: Velani Ludidi
The group also attempted to attack the house of a local councillor, but police stopped them.
“Four suspects were arrested and charged for public violence,” Potelwa says.
velani.ludidi@inl.co.za
