The heartbreak of business owners and residents of Shakaskraal was palpable today as they came to grips with the devastation of their town.

At least one person died as a horde of violent protesters looted almost every store along the main road (R102) yesterday, and many stand-alone shops in the surrounding communities were also looted.

Broken glass was strewn along the town’s main street, and shops were daubed with pro-Zuma slogans.

Economy Supply Store owner, Junaid – who was present throughout the day – said the first looters began at KFC at around 5.30am, after which bottle stores were targeted.

This emboldened looters and the mob grew from around 100 to around 500 by mid-morning.

At the height of the rioting, 2 ATM machines were broken out of walls and carried away, with onlookers grabbing notes that fell to the ground.

“We knew that there was a lockdown coming but we did not expect this level of lawlessness. It got completely out of control. We saw children drinking from stolen alcohol bottles, you just cannot explain it,” he said.

Over the course of the day, looting continued until there was nothing left in the shops.

Private security companies and Umhlali Saps officers tried to regain control of the situation, but they were drastically outnumbered.

Siza Water, Shoprite, Pep, Shakaskraal Building Services and Dr. Naidoo’s local surgery were all cleaned out.

Shoprite was later set on fire.

Feisal Dawood, owner of the building which houses both Siza Water and Dr. Naidoo, was in shock when he saw the damage this morning.

“It’s heartbreaking. We were just starting to recover from the first lockdown and now this. I can tell you now, at least 23 people will lose their jobs because of the looting and damage to property.”

Dawood estimated that the cost of the damage to his building is between R1.5 and R2 million.

The owner of a furniture and DSTV installation store, who asked not to be named, reported similar losses.

“I used my pension fund to start this business in 2015. I took everything that I had and invested it. My child had to sleep on the floor because I had no money to buy her a bed. “

“All of those sacrifices turned to dust, as people decided to break in and take my stock, work equipment and even my bakkie’s canopy.

“One of my employees is a woman who has 5 kids. I really do not know how she will survive,” he said.

Smaller businesses were not spared.

Cellphone shops, hair salons and spaza shops were also targeted.

“My store was first hit at around 10am. I tried my best to stop them, but there were too many for me to do anything.

“I had to go around the corner and cry, knowing that I had lost everything,” said owner of S.M Furniture and General Store, Mohammad Sufyan.

Residents tried to protect the whole road but were forced to look after individual stores.

One such store was Chaka’s All Sorts which was protected by Cobra Moodley of CMF Security.

The store is owned by his sister, Charlotte Ramlakan. “It was anarchy. We tried to help but there was only so much that we could do.

“The rioters were armed and we were just trying to survive using rubber bullets,” said Moodley.

His car was hit by a live round as he drove through the town.

He said one of the rioters had been shot and killed, but could not confirm the source of the bullet.

Chaka’s All Sorts is one of the only stores in Shakaskraal that was open this morning, although behind makeshift security fencing.

Many residents came out to help out, trying their best to clean up and help each other.

They brought brooms and rakes to remove debris from the road, while two men who asked not to be named offered welding services to repair broken fencing.

“We might be physically broken after being awake for 72 hours, but our spirit remains intact,” said Junaid.