‘We are not going to fold our arms and become spectators’
DIEPSLOOT–Mvelase said their members and community street patrollers have started a process of going door to door to help recover goods stolen from the shops.
Diepsloot Residents Association, community leaders and members of local taxi association, Randburg United and Local Taxi Association said they would continue to fight against looting and vandalism to infrastructure in the area.
This was after a local shopping centre was vandalised and shops looted on July 12 following a number of riots in various parts of Gauteng and KwaZulu-Natal. It is alleged that the unrest across the country was started by supporters of former president Jacob Zuma who were protesting against his incarceration at Estcourt Correctional Centre.
Diepsloot Residents Association spokesperson, Joseph Mvelase said their members and community street patrollers have started a process of going door to door to help recover goods stolen from the shops. “Diepsloot Residents Association will not allow anarchy and barbaric behaviour to take its toll in the community,” Mvesale said.
He added, “We will work tirelessly, day and night with law enforcement agencies to protect, ensure safety and stability in the community. The Diepsloot community is against looting and vandalism of infrastructure.”
Ward 113 councillor Abraham Mabuke described the looting of shops as thuggery. “As leadership of this community, we do not accept what is happened in our shopping mall. It’s very sad because those who are doing this crime, are doing it in the name of our former president, Jacob Zuma who was arrested last week. This looting and vandalism of shops will contribute to an existing problem of unemployment in the country,” he said.
He added that this was a setback for the local economy and the community were the ones who would suffer as a result.
Randburg United and Local Taxi Association spokesperson Thami Mabaso said, “We are not going to fold our arms and become spectators while our hard-earned infrastructure is being vandalised. We are members of the community as well. Our families, especially elders, who cannot travel long distances, use this mall.”
Dozens of people were arrested by the police and charged with public violence, housebreaking with intent to commit an offence, theft, malicious damage to property, trespassing, convening a gathering in contravention of the Disaster Management Act, and contravention of the regulations in respect of the restriction on the movement of persons.
