For the past few days the country has been in the grip of fear as rioters looted businesses, destroyed infrastructure and tried to bring cities to a halt.

Also read: Civil unrest, looting in Kagiso: ‘Some businesses were vandalised’ – police

In Krugersdorp, communities have started to plan and mobilise in case the violence spills over to our town. Unfortunately this panic has also been accompanied by false reports and scaremongering.

For the past two days the News journalists have followed up on as many claims as possible to bring our readers verified information. In Kagiso there had been attempts at looting, but were quickly thwarted by police.

The News has been in Kagiso and the streets of Krugersdorp, and although some shops are closed, many have again opened for business today (July 13).

Kagiso Police spokesperson, Captain Solomon Sibiya, confirmed that it was calm in Kagiso, and Sergeant Mulalo Ndou said the same about Muldersdrift.

Also read: #ZumaUnrest: Provincial government services including vaccination sites affected

Esmerelda van Zyl from the We’re Against Hunger Foundation said on their Facebook page that they were heartbroken by messages from people who were very scared.

They delivered emergency food parcels to the community as they also had to close their doors until further notice.

The police, however, asked the community to inform them if they see sporadic groups forming, or if they knew about any planned looting in their area.

• Muldersdrift Police Station – 011 952 4600
• Kagiso Police Station – 011 696 9000, 011 696 9059, 011 696 9065, 011 696 9067.
• Krugersdorp Police Station – 011 951 1111

Many institutions and entities have called on the public not to spread fear or share unverified news or social media. The News will continue to monitor the situation and inform the community if anything changes.