Black Friday brings frenzy

Huge discounts and bargains drove crowds of shoppers into a frenzy on Friday morning at shopping centres north of Pretoria.

A mass police presence at the Kolonnade shopping centre in Sefako Makgatho (Zambezi) Drive sought to ensure that the rush did not end in chaos.

“Early morning, we had a bit of trouble keeping peace at one of the stores where a huge crowd had gathered,” said Sinoville police spokesperson Warrant Officer Johan van Dyk.

Around 09:00, chaos threatened to erupt at a jewellery store in the mall where shoppers pushed to get inside.

Police intervened to keep customers from injuring one another as the crowd assembled outside the doors, which were kept closed for the safety of staffers.

A Rekord journalist on scene was also threatened by shoppers.

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Acting police commissioner Lt-General Johannes Khomotso Phahlane would later attend a Black Friday safety and awareness parade at the Kolonnade.

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