No looting end in sight for Zululand

Protesters are still blocking routes, causing major traffic disruptions while most petrol stations were left without fuel as tankers could not access the area and residents filled up in preparation for any eventuality.

Several stores, mainly retail, in eShowe, Empangeni and Richards Bay were broken into on Monday while millions of rands worth of items were stolen, including electronics, alcohol, groceries and clothing.

In addition, Home Hyper, also known as the China Mall, in Maxwell Street Empangeni was set alight.

Police have been unable to confirm the value of the damages but estimate that most of the double storey store and its contents had been damaged.

This, while hundreds of people looted the Game store in Empangeni, making out with TVs, electronics and other expensive items hidden in verges around Empangeni CBD until transport arrived.

Cambridge Food at Biyela Centre in Empangeni has been set alight. The fire department is currently at the scene @ZOPublications #looting #SAShutdown

— Erica Abrahams (@eri_abrahams) July 13, 2021

JUST IN: Melmoth town in Northern KZN has been completely looted. There are fears that buildings will be set alight @ZOPublications #looting #ShutdownSA

— Erica Abrahams (@eri_abrahams) July 13, 2021

ZO Editor Dave Savides reports live from the Richards Bay CBD interviewing nervous business owners opposite Taxi City @ZOPublications #SAShutdown #looting pic.twitter.com/7UVUoXCiBJ

— Erica Abrahams (@eri_abrahams) July 13, 2021

Others came prepared, as scores of vehicles waited readily at Sanlam Centre in Empangeni and eSikhawini Mall while protesters took their pick from various stores and made out with furniture, TVs and packets of expensive clothing.

Police confirmed that several arrests were made around King Cetshwayo, but could not confirm the number.

Ten people were arrested after attempting to break into the gun safe at Zululand Sports in Empangeni. Three weapons were recovered.

With police simply unable to cope with the number and severity of the shop attacks by looters in Empangeni and Richards Bay on Monday, residents added their weight.

They joined forces with the SAPS and security companies to resist intruders and even arrest perpetrators.

On Monday night, residents in large numbers had secured the suburbs of Birdswood, Brackenham, Aquadene, Veldenvlei and Meerensee, parking a cordon of vehicles at all access points.

Summary

• In the early hours of Tuesday, Power Spar and Biyela Street were still being looted.
• In the early hours of Monday, shops in eShowe were looted while a hand grenade thrown at the FNB ATM outside eSikhawini Plaza failed to explode.
• Disaster management confirmed to the ZO that a petrol bomb was thrown into Hungry Lion at the eSikhawini Mall.
• Protesters then attempted to set alight the Boxer store in eNseleni and looted eSikhawini Tops and Spar.
• At least six liquor outlets were looted between Empangeni and Richards Bay.
• Richards Bay SAPS confirmed that Bluff Meat Supply in Richards Bay was broken into and targeted by a handful of looters.
• The PEP store at the A-Rank and Union Street in Empangeni was looted while businesses at Biyela Centre, opposite Empangeni SAPS, were targetted.
• Tiger Wheel and Tyre in Empangeni was reportedly ‘ripped apart’ by looters.
• Spare and hardware shops in Richards Bay and Empangeni were robbed.
• A group of about 30 people broke into the Boxer supermarket in Empangeni Rail.
• The attack on Sanlam Centre and Game in Empangeni continued throughout Monday.
• Sporadic attacks on business properties continued throughout the day in Richards Bay, mainly aimed at liquor stores.
• A storage facility in Alton was looted.
• Youths ignited a number of veld fires as they roamed the streets in Alton seeking targets to loot.
• By far the worst of the incidents was the confrontation between police and CPF members confronting a large group from Mzingazi who were attempting to march on Meerensee. This included the tragic, deadly shooting of a grade 12 learner at the hands of a police officer.

Farms

Two Empangeni farmers were trapped in their residences as around 500 people protested at their respective properties on Monday morning.

Emergency teams worked through the night, three days in a row, to quell several fires that completely destroyed three farms from Richards Bay, Empangeni, Melmoth and Mtunzini.

No injuries were reported, and cases of arson have been open.