#SAUnrest: Amanzimtoti community leaders reacts
Being on the front line was indeed an unusual and difficult experience. Community leaders have shared their chilling encounters.
Gunshots, barricades, looting and uncertainty. This was the life that residents had to quickly adapt to last week during the unrest that ripped through the country. One thing that Amanzimtoti residents were adamant about was that community members are heroes. Several residents stood guard and banned together to protect their streets, local malls and shopping centres against violence and looting. Being on the front line was indeed an unusual and difficult experience. Community leaders have shared their chilling encounters.
“It was the most stressful and terrifying week,” said chairperson of the Amanzimtoti CPF, Merlene Matthews, who stood on the front line in Athlone Park.
“During the unrest, my business premise was looted and vandalised. I lost everything from my store including computers. I had to put my feelings aside and serve the community. If it wasn’t for the brave residents standing together, the community would have been completely destroyed. We barely had any sleep and it was so cold. Every single person did their part. People were all assisting each other. The police, security, councillors and residents worked together. We were very scared. With every gunshot we heard, our anxiety grew. Thank you to every person for their dedication,” said Matthews.
Dubbed as Amanzimtoti’s sheriff, George Snoodey, was also on the front line during the unrest and explained that this was certainly not something he deals with on a regular basis.
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“Members of SAPS, ET Rapid Response, security guards and police officers managed to disperse a large crowd of looters from the storage facility near South Gate Industrial Park. We had no option but to hold the crowds. I have been shot, stabbed and in other violent situations so this was not intimidating. We were not going to let the looters and rioters intimidate us. All the residents who came out to man the streets did a sterling job. It was nice knowing that the community was all out to keep the guard on the streets. CCPO could not be everywhere and neither could SAPS as their members were spread out. We urged more residents to join the CCPO,” said committee member of the community organisation.
From keeping the community constantly updated to bringing calm and order to the community, ward 97 councillor, André Beetge, was there through it all.
“We could be mistaken for standing in a 1945 war-torn town, as opposed to Durban in 2021. When the sunset on Friday, July 9, surely even those with a crystal ball couldn’t have forecast what was about to happen, as billions in retail infrastructure were summarily laid to destruction. Circumstances certainly succeeded in bringing a community together with young and old each contributing their share. Whether by constructing, long hours of presence, a cup of soup or a slice of bread, huddled around a small fire during arguably the coldest week in the town’s history and with Covid-19 seemingly totally forgotten, as an immediately perceived threat to house and limb took absolute preference.
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“Ordinary citizens took to arms in an attempt to defend and protect their neighbourhoods. Those in support of an individual, as opposed to respecting the rule of justice, took to the streets in a coordinated attempt to destabilize and create anarchy. We express our most sincere gratitude, appreciation and pride towards every person who contributed, irrespective of the minute of many cold hours, in their collective attempt to secure our community. Much appreciated as we stood together not to protect only a business entity, but indeed our town and the only source of food when this eventually blows over.”
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