Update on looting and protests in the community

The spirit of ubuntu manifested as communities stood together to protect residents and local businesses recently.

This after the country woke up to chaos on July 12 with looters destroying retail shops and businesses across most parts of KwaZulu-Natal and parts of Gauteng.

In Heidelberg, many businesses closed their doors as a safety precaution to staff and clients. The Heidelberg Mall was closed for two days and opened for business again on July 13.

Other businesses, such as the Pick n Pay at the Victorian Centre, remained open; however, customers had to wait in long queues for their daily bread and milk as other shops in town were closed.

The Lesedi Local Municipality offices closed their doors on Monday as a safety measure as numerous staff members were unable to reach the offices safely due to fear of protests in Ratanda.

Protests and looting were confirmed in parts of Duduza and Vosloorus, while it was alleged some businesses were looted overnight on July 12 in Ratanda; however, no official statement was provided. No protests or looting activities have been reported in Heidelberg or Nigel.

The Nigel community members, with taxi drivers from surrounding areas, gathered at the Angelo Mall throughout the day on July 12 and camped in the parking area overnight on July 13 to protect the town. In Heidelberg, members of the AfriForum Neighborhood Watch, CPF, SAPS and local security companies patrolled until late July 13 to protect residents and businesses.

“We are committed towards the people of Heidelberg and ready for any eventuality with the cooperation between AfriForum and other safety forums,” said Willem Sprong, chairperson AfriForum Neighborhood Watch Heidelberg.
“Our patrollers are en route and hot spots are being monitored every 24 hours,” Flip Minnaar, chairperson of CPF Heidelberg, said.

In a media release, Gerry Holtzhausen, DA councillor for Ward Nine, advised residents to try and stock up on essentials, such as long-life milk and bread, as delivery trucks might not be able to bring in fresh supplies for a while.

“Although the country is in lockdown level four, with a curfew, it is not adhered to by the criminal elements,” said Holtzhausen, who requested residents to continue to be responsible and guard their health and those of others around them.

Shaun Bamford, of Nigel Community on Patrol (NCOP), advised that the situation in Nigel was calm while members were on the road patrolling to ensure the town remains safe. He also thanked everyone who got involved in protecting the town and who provided firewood, food and water to the patrollers.

The City of Ekurhuleni (CoE) advised that service delivery has been widely affected by the looting and unrest and that the turnaround time to attend to service requests and providing other services, such as waste collection, power and water outages, may be delayed.

Residents who have not had their waste collected are encouraged to keep their waste bins outside as the City is working to clear the backlog.

“Members of SAPS, EMPD and NCOP were on the ground and alert,” said Wollaston Labuschagne, the DA Ward 88 councillor. He urged everyone not to spread any unverified or unconfirmed information regarding the situation and to remain calm.

After information was received from metro police around 11:00 on July 16 that four busses with potential looters were en route from Vosloorus to Heidelberg Mall, the ubuntu spirit continued as the Community Safety Unit, Heidelberg SAPS, Rural Security, CPF and the taxi association all worked together and immediately deployed patrollers to various entry points into Heidelberg.

Around 60 patrollers and community members responded to assist and no incidents of looting or protest were reported in Heidelberg or Nigel area.

Crime Stop confirmed that no looting was taking place anywhere in Heidelberg and that all emergency services have been mobilised and will continue to monitor the situation in and around town. Shopping centres remained open to the public while security was on high alert.

Residents from Nigel and Heidelberg expressed their appreciation on various social media platforms towards those willing to protect their community in the true ubuntu spirit.