DESTROYED! Food desperation begins PAGE 3 as farmers throw away milk PAGE 2 Mayor: 'Shut down the roadblocks' PAGE 3 - Media24 Digital
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WEDNESDAY, JULY 14, 2021 R9,20 (incl vat)
The looting-spree in Pietermaritzburg moved to
warehouse for bulk suppliers of goods yesterday.
PHOTO: TRAFFICSA
The Witness
DESTROYED!
) Food desperation begins PAGE 3 … ) as farmers throw away milk PAGE 2
) Mayor: ‘Shut down the roadblocks’ PAGE 3
SIYAMTANDA CAPA electrocuted when the looters tried to break into the The area was still congested yesterday, with very
mall. little space to move.
Several of Pietermaritzburg’s shopping centres are in “This man who died yesterday is still laying here Msunduzi mayor Mzimkhulu Thebolla said he was
complete ruin. ever since,” one woman said nonchalantly as she car- reluctant to advise people to go back to work or go
Burnt tyres, rocks, empty boxes, shopping trolleys ried searching for whatever else she could take from to town this week, “What is left for people to come
and litter lay strewn in the City’s streets, while the the few items left in Brookside Mall. to town to do?” asked Thebolla.
body of a man is rotting away at an entrance to Brook- Yesterday evening the Independent Police Investi- “What we need to do now is to see what we can
side Mall. gative Directorate (IPID) said the sporadic criminal do to recover what remains and defend the malls and
This is what has been left in Pietermaritzburg after acts had put strain on an over-stretched police work- businesses that have not been hit.
days of unrest. force. The directorate said this meant IPID investiga- “We have to do this not just for the sake of business-
A cloud of smoke lay across Pietermaritzburg yes- tors were not able to attend to crime scenes or reach es but for the sake of the people because after this
terday morning after more stores were looted and a the bodies of those deceased in areas where the unrest we will all face extreme hardship,” said Thebolla.
shopping centre’s set alight on Monday night. has broken out. He said he was more concerned that people who
The CBD has been completely trashed, businesses The Brookside Mall was set alight on Monday were seen looting are people who were previously dis-
and large retailers are a shell of what they used to be, morning after it was hit by looters. The Checkers store advantaged.
with broken windows and nothing left to sell. was left completely gutted in the blaze while the rest “These are the very same people who will feel the
Sporadic fires continue breaking out in parts of the of the stores remained mostly intact. brunt of this for a very long time. “We will not recover
City. Looters were still making their way to see what When The Witness arrived at Southgate Shopping from this in two days. People must try to stay at home
else they could find at Brookside Mall yesterday morn- Centre to assess and document what had been lost, ... and stay safe,” said Thebolla.
ing. Many left the mall empty-handed. those who were looting chased the team away and He added that the past two days had been exhaust-
A group rummaged through shoes in the front of wanted no evidence of their crime captured. ing. “We haven’t been able to sleep.
a shoe store, trying to match pairs of shoes. Some According to people who were present, the chaos “I am just exhausted. The past two days were just
were frustrated when they did not manage to do so. started on Monday evening. Looting also continued difficult,” said the mayor.
Not far from them, a man was covered in a red blan- well into the night at Campsdrift Park, which houses • siyamtanda.capa@witness.co.za
ket — apparently dead since Monday. He was allegedly Makro and China Mall.
ABOVE:
Checkers
Hyper at
Brookside Mall
drenched in
water after
firefighters
put of the
flames.
LEFT:
Armed
SANDF
troops walk
through
the CBD
yesterday.
PHOTOS:
NASH
NARRANDES
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DA plan
charges
for Zuma
twins
Radar on right-wingers VACCINATIONS
DISRUPTED IN
KZN, GAUTENG
The national health department
said yesterday the national vacci-
CLIVE NDOU
SSA also looking into possible targeted attacks on foreign nationals nation programme is continuing
across most provinces, with vac-
cines being safely distributed to
operational sites.
As mobs continue to unleash a State Security Minister Ayanda Dlodlo on top of issues. We received a report result in xenophobic violence. gence prevented attacks on substations, those claims. However, the ongoing violent
wave of looting accompanied by says intelligence agencies are already yesterday (Monday), which will be prop- Dlodlo said the SSA hands over infor- planned attacks on ANC offices in Dlodlo said even before the violence protests in KwaZulu-Natal and
violence, the DA have resolved to looking into possible attacks on foreign erly packaged around these two issues. mation to law enforcement. KwaZulu-Natal and attacks in the Dur- flared up, the SSA and police shared in- Gauteng have impacted the vac-
lay criminal charges against nationals and right-wing extremism in “The extremism and possible attacks She said the SSA reinforced its officers ban Westville Prison, Dlodlo said. formation from day one. cination rollout and disrupted ac-
some of former president Jacob the wake of the violence that has gripped on foreign nationals,” she said. in KwaZulu-Natal and Gauteng and add- On a question of whether former sen- “Only so much can be done with the cess to essential healthcare ser-
Zuma’s children it accuses of in- KwaZulu-Natal and Gauteng. Dlodlo said the SSA is only looking ed that “many things” were averted be- ior members of the SSA were involved information at hand. Some information vices, including the collection of
citing the violence. During a media briefing yesterday, at possible attacks on foreign nationals cause police had acted. in instigating the unrest in KwaZulu-Na- is false. Some information is true. Police chronic medication.
Speaking during a virtual me- ministers in the security cluster detailed and it does not mean the situation will The SSA’s intervention and intelli- tal, Dlodlo said the SSA was verifying would have done their best to follow up In a press statement yester-
dia briefing in Durban, DA federal the government’s response to the vio- on information,” she said. day, the department said govern-
leader John Steenhuisen yester-
day said Zuma’s son Duduzane
lence led, at first, by demonstrators op-
posing the incarceration of former presi- GROWING RACIAL TENSIONS CONDEMNED Meanwhile, Police Minister Bheki
Cele was quick to dispel any notion that
ment and the private sector’s
priority is to protect lives, and
and his twin sister Dudu Zuma- dent Jacob Zuma. police and intelligence agencies acted prevent harm to staff, patients
Sambudla, have been sending While the violence was continuing NOKUTHULA NTULI there was a number of scattered at- sive behaviour would further divide too late. and the medical supplies and
out tweets designed to incite unabated, Dlodlo said reports of xeno- tempts of racial attacks in areas such the people of the province in a time He said police are monitoring people property that form part of the
looting and property destruction. phobic violence and right-wing extrem- The KwaZulu-Natal MEC for Transport, as Phoenix, Chatsworth and parts of when they should be uniting in the inciting violence on social media. vaccination programme.
“This is a time when leaders ism were received by the State Security Community Safety and Liaison, Peggy Pietermaritzburg. fight against the serious acts of loot- “As a cluster, we are monitoring all Consequently, some vaccina-
should be doing whatever they Agency (SSA). Nkonyeni, has condemned the growing “We are calling upon all the affect- ing, serious destruction of property social media platforms as we are track- tion sites that have been dam-
can to calm supporters, and not “I must say that at this point the State racial tensions among community ed community members to work to- and vandalism of the infrastructure. ing those calling for civil disobedience,” aged or which may be at risk
to inflame the situation,” he said. Security Agency is already looking into members in the province. gether in the fight against any vio- Nkonyeni condemned acts that fu- he said, adding that they were working have been temporarily close.
The DA, Steenhuisen said, the possibility of attacks on foreign na- This follows reports that some lence. elled racial tension and called for unity with social media companies to track Anyone who had been sched-
would also be laying criminal tionals that I would never want to call community members, in a bid to pro- “We also urge that community among community members. post origins. uled to be vaccinated at sites in
charges against EFF leader, Julius xenophobia. We are also looking at pos- tect their properties, had begun at- members work together with the law “There are ongoing investigations, Cele warned that if the violence con- districts or areas that are affect-
Malema, also for sending out sible eruption of right-wing extremism tacking other racial groups alleging enforcement agencies and not take and those who are found to be en- tinues, there is a great risk that towns ed by the unrest are advised to
tweets that have the potential as you would have seen what was hap- that they were posing a threat of the law into their own hands,” said gaging in these acts of violence will and cities will run out of essential foods defer their vaccination. The Elec-
to incite violence. pening in KwaZulu-Natal which can lead damaging or stealing their belongings. Nkonyeni not be spared, they will be arrested — a situation he described as “disas- tronic Vaccine Data System
The DA’s decision comes a day to racial tensions in that area. We are Nkonyeni’s office yesterday said She warned that this kind of repul- and prosecuted,” she said. trous for the country”. — News24. (EVDS) will automatically res-
after ANC deputy secretary gen- chedule appointments for those
eral, Jessie Duarte, announced unable to attend; it is pro-
that the party would be investi-
gating Zuma-Sambudla for her
“let it burn” tweets.
She has also been pushing the
‘Keep ‘Tongaat residents fighting back to protect their homes’ grammed to reschedule up to
two missed appointments.
The department also warned
people not to buy any medicines
Free Jacob Zuma campaign,
threatening to shutdown the
economy if the former president
strategic PURNAL POONUSAMY army speedily. Tongaat and Verulam res-
idents were terrorised for days. The busi-
offered for sale by anyone other
than registered medical practi-
tioners, pharmacies or hospitals,
was not released from prison.
Steenhuisen said it was impor-
tant for leaders to work towards
bringing an end to the current
points safe’ Tongaat residents sealed off the en-
trance to the CBD there to prevent loot-
ers gaining entrance to it on Monday
night.
ness sector in Tongaat is like a warzone.
“In the suburbs, residents are now
fighting back, just to protect the sanctity
of their homes. Terrifying messages are
and to report any attempted
sale to the SAPS immediately.
“Stolen or improperly dis-
pensed medicines are extremely
looting and destruction of prop- Speaking to The Witness yesterday circulating of race-based violence and dangerous as they may not have
erty. President Cyril Ramaphosa, CLIVE NDOU morning, Nazir Sadack of the Tongaat vengeance is very concerning.” been stored properly, may be
in his Monday address to the na- Community Emergency Response “This looting and criminal behaviour contaminated, or may cause
tion, said the government would The KwaZulu-Natal Economic Team, said things at the CBD had quiet- has far reaching consequences, food dangerous side-effects,” the de-
be tough on protesters. Council yesterday called for more po- ed down due to the residents from the scarcity and water outages are emerging partment said. — WR.
However, Steenhuisen said the lice visibility around the province’s surrounding areas taking a stand to as an additional stress.
DA was of the view that the economic hubs in the wake of the vio- block off the roads leading to the CBD. “Medication, baby food, Covid test-
government was not doing
enough to stop the unrest.
lent looting.
The council, which held a meeting
Sadack advised residents not to enter
the area, as everything is closed, and
ing, vaccination roll-out and access to
health care has been seriously compro-
WHO WARNS
“President Ramaphosa’s tough
words have not been met with
on Monday, said it was critical for law
enforcement agencies to act against
nothing is left to loot.
He added that police, security and
The shopping centre in Tongaat that was set alight. PHOTO: SUPPLIED mised. Unemployment due to job losses
is going to cause economic distress to
AGAINST
tough action on the ground,”
Steenhuisen said, adding that
the violent protesters.
“While the forum welcomed the
CERT volunteers are patrolling.
On Monday night, looting and
A shopping centre in the CBD was set
on fire on Monday night after it was loot-
however the debris on the roads were
moved to the side to let cars pass
law abiding citizens.”
Govender advised residents to net-
MIXING JABS
police visibility, particularly in ar- deployment of the army to support marching took place in the northern and ed the previous day. Sadack said the through. work through their community groups,
eas where the looting was con- the work of the police, it called for southern areas of Tongaat, but that had building was still smoldering when he DA exco member and local councillor, and to only post important and relevant The World Health Organisation’s
tinuing in several parts of Dur- visibility of law enforcement officers calmed yesterday morning. He said the visited on Monday morning. Yogis Govender said government had information on these groups. (WHO) chief scientist on Monday
ban, was non-existent. in strategic corridors of the economy beach area was quiet, save for a few spo- He said that many shops were gutted, failed to act promptly. “Neighbourhood watches are now a advised against people mixing
Even though soldiers have like the ports, distribution centres radic incidents on the M4 highway. and clean-up for them had not begun, She said: “They failed to deploy the necessity more than ever,” she said. and matching Covid-19 vaccines
been deployed to assist police, and freeways,” the council said in a from different manufacturers,
Steenhuisen said the number statement. calling it a “dangerous trend”
that has been brought into KZN
was small when compared to
The cost of the looting to the pro-
vincial economy, the council said,
N3 TOLL ROUTE UGU WATER WOES SET TO WORSEN AFTER TANKERS BURNT since more data is needed about
the health impact.
the magnitude of the looting.
Of the total number of sol-
skyrocketed over the past few days.
“The material cost to the economy
STILL CLOSED NTANDOYENKOSI DLAMINI along with municipal vehicles, offices confirm that a significant number of
Soumya Swaminathan told an
online briefing, “It will be a cha-
diers deployed nationally, Steen- has been revised up to billions of and a fresh produce market in Mkho- water tanker trucks were destroyed to otic situation in countries if citi-
huisen said, only 600 have been rand. At the start of the rioting gov- The entire N3 toll route from Ce- Water supply issues will continue to lombe on Monday during the unrest. ashes at our Mkholombe depot. And zens start deciding when and
sent to KwaZulu-Natal. ernment had provided initial con- dara to Heidelberg is still closed, plague residents in the Ugu District Areas such as Palm Beach, Port Ed- this is indeed a bad state of affairs to who will be taking a second, a
servative figures of about R100 mil- the N3 Toll Concession (N3TC) Municipality, following the burning of ward and Gamalakhe on the KZN have service delivery vehicles being third and a fourth dose.”
lion. announced yesterday. municipal water tankers on Monday. South Coast have been without water destroyed in this manner,” said Zama. Swaminathan called mixing a
LOOTING GOES “However, business has indicated
that as a result of shutting down op-
“The entire N3 toll route cur-
rently remains closed to all traf-
Ugu’s municipal spokesperson
France Zama, said the burning of the
since Sunday.
“Due to the volatility of the situa-
Zama said the the fresh produce
market’s sole purpose was to provide
“data-free zone” on Monday but
the WHO clarified yesterday that
ON DESPITE 26 erations, destruction of property,
physical loss of goods and working
fic between Cedara, KZN, Heidel-
berg and Gauteng in the inter-
tankers will have a devastating effect
in the municipality’s ability to provide
tion at our Mkholombe depot on Mon-
day, we could not access the premises
a trading platform for local farmers
and serve as a catalyst for the devel-
some data was available and
more was expected.
DEAD IN KZN hours, the cost to the economy today
runs into billions of rand,” the council
ests of safety and security,” said
the statement.
portable water.
The water tankers were set alight
to establish the number of water
tankers that were torched. But I can
opment of black farmers to become
successful producers and suppliers.
Its Strategic Advisory Group of
Experts on vaccines in June said
said. The concession said motorists the Pfizer vaccine could be used
CLIVE NDOU A loss of investment confidence are strongly advised to avoid the as a second dose after an initial
Twenty six people have died
was expected to see this figure rising
even further.
N3 until further notice.
The highway was closed on
KZN TAXI ASSOCIATION URGES DRIVERS TO BE CAREFUL dose of AstraZeneca, if the latter
is not available.
since the beginning of violent The looting, the council said, Monday night following ongoing The results of a further clinical
looting on Friday. would have a negative impact on the threats to the safety and securi- THABISO GOBA yesterday. ate due to debris still being on the trial led by the University of Ox-
This is according to KwaZulu- provincial government’s plans to ty of road users as well as the “From what we have seen, the roads but some other places, it is ford, which will look at mixing
Natal Premier, Sihle Zikalala. grow the economy and create jobs. operation and assets of the N3TC, The KwaZulu-Natal taxi association roads are open and there are no burn- clear,” he said. AstraZeneca and Pfizer as well
Addressing the province’s citi- The council said this will also sig- said Thania Dhoogra, N3TC’s op- said it will be “monitoring” the situa- ing tyres or protestors. KZN Santaco suspended all its taxis as Moderna and Novovax vacci-
zens yesterday, Zikalala said nificantly dampen the investor confi- erations manager. Dhoogra said a tion on whether it is safe to send “So we are urging our drivers and from operating due to civil unrest on nes, is underway. — Reuters.
most of those who died where dence in the province, adding the violent mob looted the Engen taxis back on the road today. taxi owners to monitor the situation Monday. Shangase also condemned
killed during the stampedes loss of jobs and livelihoods was one Tugela One Stop North, and there Sfiso Shangase, spokesperson of the and if it is safe to operate then they taxi drivers who were part of the
which happened during the loot- of the immediate consequences of were protestors burning tyres provincial South African South African should,” said Shangase. looting and said one taxi was burnt
ing. The cost of destruction
caused by looters across the
the looting.
• clive.ndou@witness.co.za
along this section of the route. National Taxi Council (Santaco), said
the suspension on taxis was lifted
“There are a lot of cities like Dur-
ban where it might be hard to oper-
and a driver assaulted during the un-
rest in Phoenix.
GLOBAL COUNT
province amounted to more than
R100 millon, he said.
“The disruptions had a mas- IXOPO FARMERS FORCED TO DUMP THOUSANDS OF LITRES OF MILK 187 612 311
Total confirmed cases
sive impact on lives, service de-
livery and the province’s econo- SUE SEGAR wasn’t fetched yesterday, we waited threw it onto the fields so as not to both our product and our inputs.
my. The Covid-19 vaccination
programme, which is vital in the Rob Stapylton-Smith, whose two
till 11 am and then we got a directive
from DFSA to say that it is still un-
contaminate waterways with raw milk.
In addition no feed has been com-
“Our two small towns, Donnybrook
and Ixopo were decimated last night
4 045 064
Total deaths
fight against the virus, has farms in Ixopo fall under the Stapyl- safe to put trucks out on the roads ing onto the farm. “That will become with looting and we are worried that
ground to a halt as a result of ton-Smith Farming CC, yesterday to collect our milk. a crisis by Saturday. We are okay with this will spill over onto farms.”
the violent protests. Health servi- dumped 28 000 litres of milk. “We will therefore be throwing away feed till Saturday. If we were due a He said that farmers, shop owners 2 219 316
ces have been severely affected, If deliveries are not able to get the milk we have in the tanks to drop of feed today or tomorrow it and police in Ixopo yesterday morning Total confirmed SA
with ambulances being burnt back to normal, he and other farmers make space to milk the cows this aft- would have been a problem and dam- pushed everyone out of town and cases (July 13)
and health workers not able to in the area, will have to repeat this in ernoon and again tomorrow morning. age animal performance. We are lucky barricaded the town to try and bring
report to work,” he said.
Despite 187 people having be-
the next few days. He said no milk
tankers could be dispatched to collect
“So our farm, our operation will
throw away 28 000 litres of milk. We Milk being dumped on a farm near
at the moment as we can hold on
until the weekend and hope the situa-
peace and only leave people in town
who are not looting.
12 537
Increase in 24 hours
ing arrested in connection with between 600 000 and one million litres will be opening the tap and throwing Ixopo yesterday. tion on the roads has cleared. “In Kokstad, I understand the com-
the violent protests, looting and
destruction of property contin-
a day produced in the area each day.
He said he has only enough capaci-
it down the drain.” He said in financial
terms, the milk thrown away yesterday had to get staff to transport his own
“We are hoping things come right
quickly but we are extremely worried,
munities have used tractors and
trucks to put mounds of earth on the 65 142
ued yesterday morning. ty to keep the milk on the farm for is worth R160 000. milk, pouring it out onto a field. as we feel we are in a situation in roads coming in and out of Kokstad Total SA deaths
two days. “So today, because our milk He said his neighbour, (Mark Hauff They sucked it into a tanker and which we have no control over for as physical barriers to stem the tide.”
July 14, 2021 THE WITNESS | 3
NEWS
www.witness.co.za
People
watch as
shacks burn
‘Shut the road blocks’ ‘It was like a
war all night,’
say residents
CLIVE NDOU
Msunduzi Mayor warns against escalating racial tensions in the city NOKUTHULA NTULI
Msunduzi Mayor, Mzi Thebolla yester- SIYAMTANDA CAPA down. He said plans were afoot to start The gap between the haves and have nots
day condemned the antagonistic atti- cleaning up the City’s streets as soon was clearly evident in the looting pat-
tudes towards Khan Road shack dwellers Shut down the citizen road blocks. as possible. Currently the CBD is in a terns that played out on Pietermaritz-
in Northdale. Msunduzi Mayor Mzimkulu The- shambolic state from the unrest. The- burg’s streets in the past two days.
“It should be remembered that peo- bolla yesterday told The Witness he had bolla said the City’s was reluctant to People from low-income households
ple who reside in informal settlements been informed that residents in some start cleaning the streets only for the mostly went for the basics such as food,
left their homes to be closer to their work suburbs were closing off entrances to CBD to be trashed once more. baby supplies and detergents while the
places. It’s unfortunate that certain indi- their areas. He said he had also been “We are putting together a plan, but middle class came in vehicles to load up
viduals have decided to adopt an antago- told that there were racial tensions we cannot implement a plan not know- with furniture and appliances.
nist stance against informal settlement brewing in Pietermaritzburg. ing whether we will have to go back Yesterday morning the CBD was
dwellers,” Thebolla said. He said this would not be tolerated. when we find that they have gone back strewn with empty cardboard boxes,
In a video sent to The Witness, a group “The question remains: who have there,” said Thebolla. plastic packets, naked mannequins as
of people can be seen standing next to they closed off the area to? It will be The mayor said the City would work well broken glass and furniture left in the
the Khan Road informal settlement as said that the area has been closed to with various organisations to restore wake of Monday night’s destruction that
shacks burn. looters, but the reality is that the loot- areas that had been affected. saw stores like the retail giant, Game, be-
Thebolla said there has always been ers in the main are African. “If things calm down, we will start ing looted. Some could be seen pushing
an agenda to drive out the informal set- “This is honestly something we can- [today] and we will clean the entire city trolleys with their loot — mostly con-
tlement dwellers. “We are aware that not tolerate. We are going to have a with volunteers. This will only be de- taining food and other small household
they have always been blamed for each challenge if we do not stop this now. cided as and when we realise that it is supplies — as they rushed to escape the
and every service delivery problem in the Unless we do something about it. calm and safe and that people can start CBD on foot.
area. It is for this reason that we are not “This is not something we are going moving into town,” said Thebolla. People living on the streets also used
surprised when the current unrest is be- to accept. We need to somehow inter- The mayor said that while he would this as an opportunity to get new gear.
ing used as a scapegoat to attack the in- vene,” said Thebolla. not name the organisations, many peo- They then left their old blankets and
formal settlement dwellers,” he said. Asked what the city was doing to en- ple had shown willingness to assist the soiled clothes lying on the pavements.
According to reports, one person died sure residents felt safe in their homes, City. “These are people who love their Meanwhile, those living in the city
and two other informal settlement resi- Thebolla said there was only so much city, who feel that this is our city and centre told The Witness about how they
dents are in a critical condition in hospi- the municipality could do. “We are try- we must work towards reviving it. We felt trapped in their homes in the midst
tal after sustaining burn injuries when ing all we can. It is unfortunate that are very grateful,” said Thebolla. of the violence on their doorsteps. “We
their shacks caught alight on Monday. people are feeling unsafe in their He said the initial plan was to start were scared for our lives last night (Mon-
It was unclear how the shacks caught homes, but we are also doing all we can. The clean-up of Pietermaritzburg’s streets is expected to start today. PHOTO: NASH NARRANDES the clean-up yesterday, but it was day). There were fires burning and gun-
alight. “As a government in our totality we changed as the chaos continued in Piet- shots everywhere. We didn’t get any
In a joint statement, ANC MP and SA need to do something to make sure that He said some responsibilities how- He said the clean-up of the ransacked start today. ermaritzburg. sleep,” said Sithembile Sithole.
communist party senior leader Yunus people are safe in their homes.” ever did not lie with local government. Central Business District (CBD) will This is if the unrest in the City calms • siyamtanda.capa@witness.co.za She said she wanted to take her teen-
Carrim and veteran ANC activist and age daughter and drive to her friend’s
former MP, Yusuf Bhamjee, expressed place in Taylor’s Halt, but was scared of
concerns about the tensions around the
Khan Road informal settlement dwell-
ers. “The needs of both those from the
informal settlement and the established
Even small Midlands towns not spared Fears of food shortages getting caught up in the chaos and possi-
bly getting hurt.
Sithole, who is originally from Ma-
phumulo, works for one of the big furni-
community are understandable, but we ture shops that were looted on Monday.
need to avoid this becoming a racial war, INGRID OELLERMANN JYOTHI LALDAS and she had run out of milk on Sunday. She said she was considering going
from which we will never ever recover.
“We cannot remain forever in a state Outlying areas such as Howick resem- HOWICK STARTS CLEAN-UP NTANDOYENKOSI DLAMINI “I thought I would pick up some
stuff on Monday — how wrong I was.
back home when the dust settled be-
cause she did not think the shop would
of war. We have no choice but to co-exist bled a ghost town yesterday after the Fears that KwaZulu-Natal might run This whole scene is like out of a movie. reopen anytime soon, if ever. “The head
across racial lines and we have to reduce pillaging, with many other small vil- INGRID OELLERMANN out of food in the days to come if the I never thought such a thing would office has not confirmed it but I’m basi-
the deep racial inequalities. lage centres also destroyed. unrest continues, have sent residents happen in my lifetime. I am so scared cally unemployed at the moment so I
“This means the state, ANC, civil so- Community members in other out- The people of Howick have wast- and businesses into a panic. that we will run out of food soon and have no reason to stay here and I’d rather
ciety and ordinary people have to work lying suburbs like Ashburton, outside ed no time in starting to clean With many grocery stores across the by the looks of things that is where we go home where I don’t have to pay rent.”
together to play a role in this,” the two Pietermaritzburg, as well as in Hilton up their town. “It started with province having been looted and emp- are heading. Our malls have been Goodwin Dunia, who lives in one of
ANC activists said. and Nottingham Road, like other KZN about five of us (cleaning in Bell tied, shoppers headed out yesterday cleaned out, our CBD too. We are lucky the buildings on Church Street, said he
Imtiaz Sooliman, from the Gift of the communities, took it on themselves street) and we were soon joined morning in the hopes that they would that these small stores were spared here watched all the action from his bedroom
Givers, said using the current volatile to protect what is left to save. by two shopkeepers and then a be able to stock up on food at the few so we could get a few things. I don’t window. He said it was tempting to join
situation in KwaZulu-Natal to deepen Armed community members sup- few other older Howick resi- places that were not hit. know what we will do in the days to in the looting because the police were
racial divisions was counterproductive. ported by private security manned dents,” DA councillor Janis Most of the stores have rationed gro- come if this keeps going on.” not arresting anyone.
“There is anger understandably, on all roadblocks set up at a four-way inter- Holmes said last night. Councillors Janis Holmes and ceries to prevent panic buying and en- Speaking to The Witness, pro- “I thought what if I die while stealing,
sides, but expressing that anger violently section at Ashburton to protect the She said they had decided to Hazel Lake help clean up Bell suring more people are able to access gramme co-ordinator for the Pieter- my family would be disgraced.”
is counterproductive to our harmonious local Pick ’n Pay, garage and butchery. do another clean up today and Street, Howick yesterday. food and other grocery items. Despite maritzburg Economic Justice and Dig- He said he packed a small bag with
development and in essence, is futile. This amid a notable absence of any she was “totally overwhelmed” by this, the smaller stores soon ran out of nity Group Mervyn Abrahams said essential documents, wallet, phone char-
“We need to be circumspect in our police or SANDF soldiers. how quickly people had respond- that it is safe, “ she said. stock of most items. from the visuals he has been seeing ger and a few clothes on Monday morn-
approach, forgive the mistakes made, Sporadic gunfire has been heard in ed to a WhatsApp invitation to Holmes added they will ensure On the KZN South Coast, business- since Saturday, he expects that food ing, just in case he needed to leave his
open meaningful dialogue, calm the ten- the area from Monday and distraught join in, sent on their local Howick that rubble that is collected is es in Port Shepstone opened their availability for the next two to three home in a hurry.
sion and understand each other’s chal- members of the community said they group. transported out of town as doors for residents to buy essential gro- weeks will be severely compromised. “I sat with my clothes and shoes on
lenges and anxieties. Conflict and ag- felt abandoned by law enforcement “People of Howick are really quickly as possible to ensure that ceries like bread, and nappies. “We can also expect that prices of last night (Monday) just ready to run if
gression is not what we strived for in the agencies and the government. proud of their heritage and their it is not used to block roads. This was done yeaterday from 8 am various food products will increase as they set my building on fire.”
27 years of our young democracy. The Many residents — mostly keeping town and really just want to get Community members wanting to 10 am. However, a number of people retailers try to get their margins back. He said he was shocked to see the loot-
journey to the ideal society is full of contact via WhatsApp groups — were it clean and back to normal as to help with the clean-up can in areas like Margate, Shelly Beach and “This will have the most negative ing continuing and people firing guns
thorns and many challenges. How we helping each other out with basic food quickly as possible. Obviously we contact Holmes on 082 829 2768 Uvongo said they are still struggling to impact on the low income households.” in the presence of the army and the po-
navigate it, build friendships and a com- products and animal feed, forcing will monitor the situation to see or Hazel Lake on 082 323 1191. get things like toilet paper and bread The owner of SupplyLink Distribu- lice. “It was like a war and I’m sure people
mon humanity is in our hands,” he said. those brave or desperate enough to since both the South Coast Mall and tors, a bulk food distributor based in got hurt,” said Dunia.
KZN community safety MEC, Peggy venture further from their homes in Shelly Centre are still closed due to the Ballito, said they were selling items to • nokuthula.ntuli@witness.co.za
Nkonyeni, has also cautioned against the search of basic foods like bread and town,” said the resident. army was initially deployed only at na- violent protests. walk in customers from their ware-
exploitation of the current volatile situa- milk. The Camperdown Spar report- Stores known to have been hit in tional keypoints like the KZN Legisla- The Albany Bakery in Margate, house. “At the moment we are selling
tion to create racial divisions.
• ckive.ndou@witness.co.za
edly opened for a few hours yesterday
morning but as word spread, the
queue grew long and shelves were
Howick and Merrivale include bran-
ches of Pick ’n Pay , Merrivale Spar
and Tops and others, including furni-
ture in Pietermaritzburg. He said he
had established that the SANDF and
SAPS met yesterday morning to dis-
which supplies the majority of the Ugu
District has been closed since protest
action began on Monday.
what we have to people because of the
shortage and because we cannot allow
the items to go bad.
Limited fuel
quickly emptied, a source said. ture stores. cuss an “operational plan”. People on the North Coast also faced He said the looting has affected may last few
Unrest Ashburton Pick n Pay elected not
to open again due to the risks of being
attacked. This followed the torching
Midlands Auctions in Merrivale
posted on Facebook that it was hit on
Monday night but the SAPS arrived
He said armed citizens have mean-
while formed roadblocks to protect
their suburbs.
a similar situation. Queuing at a small
supermarket in Stanger Manor, KwaD-
ukuza one resident, Lilyan Daniel said
many sectors.
“I definitely anticipate a shortage of
food, yes,” the owner said. more days
disrupts of the Pick n Pay at Polly Shortts on
Monday.
“on scene relatively promptly and dis-
persed the crowd”.
“The destruction in the small
towns in the Midlands is incredible,
City services Seven dead in Phoenix
A resident in the Howick area said DA KZN provincial deputy leader, like something out of the Apocalypse PURNAL POONUSAMY
Greendale Spar and St John Pick ’n Chris Pappas, told The Witness peo- movies,” Pappas said of Howick
Pay remained shut and under guard. ple’s concerns about the lack of visi- He said one of the concerns were If the unrest continues, it spells troub-
No other supermarket was open. bility of the army and police were the racial tensions that were building. le for motorists, as fuel resources are
As the city continues to be held in “Fuel is being kept for SAPS, securi- widespread. Pappas said when driving “These are law abiding people who slowly being depleted.
the grip of civil unrest, Msunduzi Mu- ty firms and community patrols. The around over three days he personally just want to restore law and order but THABISO GOBA were still sporadic sounds of gunshots Many garages remained closed to
nicipality says its taken its toll on bridge over the Umgeni River is being saw only two police vehicles. among well-meaning people there are heard around the Durban suburb. the public, however the few that were
their infrastructure. blockaded by residents who are only During an engagement with the some people not so friendly towards Phoenix residents felt like they were in Jonathan Annipen, IFP constituency open yesterday said they were ex-
In a statement yesterday, Msunduzi letting in people who have to be in SANDF he had been informed that the other South Africans,” said Pappas. the middle of a war zone when they saw leader for Phoenix, said the area felt like tremely busy with patrons trying to fill
said services are still disrupted, as a dead bodies, armed community militia a war zone. Annipen said on Monday, their tanks. They also said that their
result of the current unrest. and torching of cars in their streets. he saw at least three dead bodies on resources were being depleted and
“The protests have affected a num-
ber of areas and parts of the infra-
structure. This follows a spree of loot-
ing in a number of shops, liquor
Chatsworth pastor shot while on patrol Umeh Singh, Chairperson of the
Phoenix Community Police Forum,
said at least seven people have died dur-
ing the unrest between Friday and
the side of the road.
“It’s complete mayhem, a war-like
situation. As if Covid wasn’t already
enough, there is now racially-motivat-
that they probably only have enough
supply for one more day.
Many people in the province took to
the various social media platforms to
stores, clothing and furniture outlets Monday. ed violence,” he said. “I received a call find out which garages were open, to
in most parts of the City. The public THABISO GOBA died, added Gwala. Chatsworth councillor Previn Ve- “We are still waiting for confirma- for my helper who said she was afraid fill up. This fuel shortage could spell
safety and emergency services worked Brandon Pillay, chairperson of the dan also paid tribute to Naidoo as a tion to ascertain whether these deaths of coming to work because she heard trouble for emergency services that
tirelessly attending to emergency calls. Tributes are pouring in for Chat- Bayview community police forum, man who was involved in the commu- are related to the protests, or (if) they they are killing all black people in Phoe- are currently constantly on the move
“A number of areas are currently sworth pastor Adrian Naidoo (pic- which Naidoo belonged to, said he was nity. could have been random shootings or nix and that broke my heart.” and responding to various incidents in
experiencing power outages; the elec- tured), who was shot and killed dur- doing patrols with Naidoo on the With regards to the unrest, Vedan stabbings,” he said yesterday. Meanwhile, on social media, there their respective areas.
tricity department is attending to ing a commmunity patrol on Monday night he died. “He was a hero, a com- said the situation in Chatsworth was KZN Premier Sihle Zikalala, said 26 were text messages and voice clips cir- Speaking to The Witness, Tongaat
them. The municipality’s call centre, night. munity leader, and a people’s person.” very “intense” with dead bodies lying people in the province have died during culating, urging Phoenix residents to Community Emergency Service’s Nazir
banking hall and other offices are cur- Provincial police spokesperson, Pillay said the community of Bay- on the floor in some areas, and reports the unrest. The police had not con- arm themselves and defend their com- Sadack, said there are no fuel deliver-
rently unable to operate as normal Captain Nqobile Gwala, said a case of view was not spared from the looting of shootings in other places. firmed how many of the deaths were munity. ies and this has left current resources
and are closed until further notice. We murder is being investigated by the as their entire shopping centre was “There’s a dead body lying in in Phoenix at the time of publication. Sfiso Shangase, South African Na- limited. Sadack, his team, and other
are appealing to consumers who have Bayview Police Station. wiped clean. “Since yesterday after- Crossmoor, another dead body was Videos circulating on social media tional Taxi Association provincial emergency services have been tireless-
reported service delivery faults to be She said Naidoo (47) was noon things have been quieter and lying at the Ridge mall.” showed bodies of dead people being spokesperson, said he received a report ly responding to incidents all over the
patient as there might be delays in driving on Clandestone Ave- peaceful. I hope it stays that way,” He also said that a 24-year-old dumped on the side of the road in of one taxi driver being killed and their North Coast since the unrest com-
having the faults attended to.” nue in Bayview with two said Pillay. moulana (Muslim scholar) was shot Phoenix. taxi being torched in Phoenix on Mon- menced last Friday.
The city urged residents to report passengers when he was Jonathan Annipen, constitu- dead on Monday. “When the looting started the com- day. He said that thankfully some local
incidents of damage to public proper- shot on the neck by an ency leader of the IFP in “Police are afraid of coming into munity got together and wanted to One resident told The Witness their garages in the area had made ar-
ty on the following emergency call unknown suspect. He Phoenix, said he was devas- the area and opportunistic looting is guard itself and unfortunately there uncle was killed in a shooting near rangements to provide fuel for the
centre numbers: was taken to hospital tated by the news of Nai- still continuing right now,” he said. have been a lot of violence,” said Singh. Clayfield Mosque. first responders, however he expects
033 392 3725 for medical atten- doo’s death. He described Vedan appealed for calm in the He said the situation was calm and Annipen called on community lead- that it will only last for a few more
033 392 2945 tion where he later him as a personal friend. community. the looting had subsided but there ers to condemn acts of vigilantism. days. He added that if there is no fuel
033 392 2504 delivery over the next few days, he is
Calls can also be made to 10111 to
the respective ward councillors. KZN CHURCH LEADERS CALL FOR PEACEFUL RESOLUTION TO ONGOING UNREST unsure what will happen in terms of
their ability to respond to incidents.
Refuse collections, street sweeping, A motorist who has been helping
grass cutting services and the opera- NOKUTHULA NTULI violence, looting and damage of concerned about the long-term im- gins. The church leaders said the and business sectors and civil society his community patrol in the Chat-
tion of the landfill site are currently property. “We condemn, in the pact of the ongoing poorest and most marginalised, together have an urgent role to play sworth area, Shawn Pillay said he had
suspended. “Residents are requested Religious leaders in KwaZulu-Natal strongest possible terms, the vio- unrest on businesses, who have already been hardest in responding to those who are des- driven all over his suburb, but there
to continue keeping waste inside their have called for a peaceful resolution lence that has wreaked havoc across livelihoods and access hit by the Covid-19 pan- titute and hungry; a situation which were queues lining up at all the open
premises until further notice. to the ongoing violence and unrest in our province: destroying property, in- to food. Napier and demic and its related has only been amplified by the Cov- petrol stations, with desperate drivers
“The municipality apologises for the various parts of the province and the frastructure and businesses, intimi- Bishop Nkosinathi My- lockdown restrictions, id-19 pandemic over the past 18 wanting to fill up. “It’s not surprising.
inconvenience caused, calls for pa- nation at large. dating innocent people and causing aka went on to em- who will again bear months. Poverty and dire hunger People are just being cautious. But we
tience during this period of unrest and Led by Cardinal Wilfrid Napier widespread fear and anxiety. phasise the call to the brunt and feel cannot be ignored and must be ad- need the petrol available for those
urges all residents to ensure their (pictured), the KZN Church Leaders “We state that this is totally un- government to urgent- the real pain of dressed immediately. Leaving these who are on the move and helping pre-
safety until the calm is restored. We Group held a virtual meeting yester- acceptable and cannot, under any ly reduce the glaring this violent un- lived realities unaddressed is not only vent violence in the area,” he said.
will do our utmost best to minimise day morning where they discussed circumstances be tolerated”, said and immoral chasm between the rest. “Govern- immoral, but will also prepare fertile The Department of Energy had not
service delivery interruption.” — WR. their concerns regarding the ongoing Napier. The church leaders were also rich and the people on the mar- ment, the faith ground for unrest” said Myaka. responded by the time of publication.
4 | THE WITNESS JULY 14, 2021
OPINION
1789 1914
www.witness.co.za
Bastille Day — the French Revolution begins with American engineer Robert Goddard
the storming of the Bastille Prison in Paris is granted the first patent for a
(now celebrated as France’s national day). liquid-fuelled rocket design.
Est 1846
The Witness
KwaZulu-Natal July 14, 2021
OUR VIEWPOINT LACK OF LEADERSHIP
P
resident Cyril Ramaphosa’s address to the the frustration of those watching, before getting guarded entries to suburbs are testament to the It feels like the citizens who have been aban- What are you saying to the people stuck at home
nation on Monday night fell far short of to the meat of what residents really wanted to fact that again they felt vulnerable. Gunfire, stun doned in their hour of need are playing a cat and too scared to put their noses outside the door?
what many had hoped it would be. hear. Where is the help? What is government do- grenades and explosions rent the night as resi- mouse game trying to find someone who will take What are you saying to the businesses that have
The content of his speech was lacklustre. Even ing? When will it be over? Where is the enforce- dents shivered in their homes on high alert. Some the initiative and get the situation under control. lost everything?
his body language conveyed the attitude of some- ment of the curfew? Remember that? We still have in Maritzburg had crowds outside their homes It’s not enough for politicians to say they’re What are you saying to the people who have lost
one who was not engaged in what he was saying. a curfew. yelling for them to get out. shocked at what happened. Here are some ques- their jobs as a direct result of looted businesses
Frightened residents affected by the lawless- The fact that looting continued unabated in And talking about a lack of leadership, where tions for them. What will you do when food runs being left bankrupt?
ness wanted strong leadership from him. His lan- towns overnight and yesterday, shows that the is the voice of the Zulu nation’s new king? How out as the N3 is closed and trucks can’t move, and It cannot be a hands-off approach. Where there
guage was measured. He began with his usual pro- promise of troops and feet on the ground was emp- about if he stepped in and exercised some civil supermarkets that have been looted and burnt is a leadership vacuum, there is always someone
longed preamble, which only served to heighten ty. Meaningless. The groups of civilians who responsibility to call for order? need time to rebuild? What must the hungry do? else willing to step in. Who is there? Who’s left?
War on two fronts
than 24hrs at the current rate. We need 65 000 deaths due to Covid-19; that’s
OPINION everyone’s input to save where we can.”
As President Cyril Ramaphosa said in
his address on Monday night, although
just according to government statistics.
But it will be naïve right now to think
there is no war erupting on another flank
these may be opportunistic acts of loot- too. The pandemic and lockdowns have
Mandy Wiener ing driven by hardship and poverty, the decimated the economy and left millions
poor and marginalised bear the ultimate of South Africans unemployed. It has
A
s shopping centres went up in brunt of the destruction. “Shops have long been a tinder box waiting to ignite.
flames, cars were torched, trol- been looted and infrastructure de- The violence is ostensibly under the
leys were packed with flat-screen stroyed. This means that our sick cannot banner of the free Jacob Zuma move-
televisions and crates of beer were push- get medication from pharmacies, food ment, but there is little doubt now that
ed off, the country’s fight against Covid- does not reach supermarket shelves, and the looting and unrest are less about one
19 was shifted momentarily to the side. health workers cannot go to work. Our man than about poverty and despera-
The practical impact of the lawless ri- vaccination programme has been se- tion. This is an unemployment revolu-
oting and looting in Kwa-Zulu-Natal and verely disrupted just as it is gaining mo- tion that has long been brewing. It need-
Gauteng is the closure of the economy mentum. This will have lasting effects ed a catalyst. Zuma’s arrest was it.
and a disastrous effect on health care, on our ability to consolidate some of the There is undoubtedly a criminal ele-
emergency services and the vaccine roll- progress we were already witnessing in ment, too. The attacking of a mosque,
out. Various clinics were closed and vac- our economic recovery. These disrup- of a veterinary clinic, and of ambulance
cine sites shut. tions will cost lives by cutting off the workers is undoubtedly criminal.
The Gauteng government said emer- supply chains that sustain our food, Isobel Frye, a director at the Studies
gency services’ personnel were experi- health and production systems,” he said. in Poverty and Inequality Institute, told
encing difficulty in responding to dis- While the country is so overwhelmed me that we need to be very cautious in
tress calls due to limited access. They al- by the fight against Covid-19, we simply dismissing these riots as linked to one
so expressed concern about the cannot afford to be distracted or imped- specific cause: to free Zuma from prison.
superspreader events that the gather- ed at this point. It will lead to more un- “What we have seen from our re-
ings could become. Not only that, hospi- necessary deaths. We have to move with search over the years is that there are
tal emergency staff were having to deal speed now that we have stock and capac- growing numbers of people who are fac-
with the casualties of the violence and ity. In the latest Nids-Cram survey, out ing hunger and starvation daily. ... So
ongoing clashes with police. “Hospital last week, researchers stressed the neces- what we’ve seen in the face of all of this
admissions continue to increase and are sity of vaccinating on weekends. “Ap- is a sense of complete helplessness,” said
placing a heavy strain on the health-care proximately 1,3 million more vaccine Frye. She added there is a sense that, if
system,” said the statement. doses could have been administered in you’ve got no hope in the future, you’ve
Dr Frans Skosana, a pulmonologist at May and June 2021,” Dr Nic Spaull was got nothing to lose.
Olivedale Hospital in Johannesburg, quoted as saying. “It’s like fighting a rag- The government is fighting a war on
tweeted this on Monday afternoon: ing fire and sending the firefighters two fronts and it simply cannot afford
“This is what this chaos is doing to hos- home at the weekend.” to, both the battles against the pandemic
pitals. This is just one aspect. Lives at Now, with vaccine sites impacted dur- and poverty are now raging. The state Sri Lankan pupils ride a motorbike home after attending their online classes from a nearby mountain top in Bohitiyawa village in Meegahakiwula, Sri
risk.” He sent a screenshot saying: “Our ing the week, this will further set back is exposed, leaving us all vulnerable. Lanka. Climbing rocks and sitting on tree tops is not part of their curriculum but children in villages surrounding the capital city are doing just that to
bulk oxygen tank is at 25% and the refill the goal of vaccinating 300 000 a day be able to catch mobile signals to access their online classes. The digital divide fuelled by uneven Internet access and high data cost has forced many
truck is waiting for a police escort to the or 67% of the population by the end of • Mandy Wiener is a journalist, author and pupils out of the formal education system in Sri Lanka.
hospital. The current oxygen will last less the year. We have already suffered almost host of the Midday Report on 702. PHOTO: AP
Counting the cost
The ANC’s internal contestations have taken the country to this point
the protests would be brought to book. It has reached a point where a com- directly affecting the prospects for
OPINION Ramaphosa took a firm tone as the
president of the country at a time when
South Africans need the government’s
“When leaders are worried about their
political fortunes, they are unable to take a
promise between the factions is impos-
sible.
building a stable society with economic
opportunities, and the party should take
the blame for this.
assurance that efforts will be made to MATTER OF LIFE AND DEATH South Africans outside the ANC are
Ralph Mathekga return to normality.
position in which they rise above factional For some in the ANC, the battle has be- fed-up with living under a dysfunctional
Despite this, the party remains con- interests. Even rallying behind the party’s come a matter of life and death in the ANC incapable of exerting discipline
T
he emerging picture shows a party has to confront this crisis head-on. fused. sense that the more chaos there is fol- among its members.
country paying the high price of This requires that the party put aside its Senior party leaders show no coher-
current leaders comes with calculations: how lowing Zuma’s arrest, the stronger their The crisis has escalated to a point
instability as a result of a party un- sectarian interests and pursue national ence when speaking against the ongoing much support should be shown towards the position is in pushing their agenda in the where it will take the use of state resour-
able to sort itself out. interests. mayhem in KwaZulu-Natal and Gaut- party and subsequently in the country. ces, including already stretched police
The protests that started in KwaZulu- But as we already know, the ANC’s eng.
president, and how vulnerable is his Regardless of whether this strategy services, to address internal problems in
Natal and spread to some parts of Gaut- interests — or at least the interests of This is because senior party members presidency in the ongoing crisis?” works, South Africa is paying the price the ANC.
eng divulge that the renewal project, said one of the factions in the party — goes are concerned with how the crisis affects of enduring instabilities in the form of The party should apologise to the na-
to be under way in the ANC, will not against the interests of the country, as their political fortunes, particularly the violent protest and destruction of prop- tion for allowing internal conflicts in the
be an easy task. shown by the looting and destruction of leadership contests that have become erty. party to spill over onto our streets. This
However, it is those outside of the property. permanent party features. Even rallying behind the party’s cur- During this crisis, the party needs to Whatever experimentation is under was an avoidable crisis.
ANC, who trusted it to govern, who are When leaders are worried about their rent leaders comes with calculations: understand that it doesn’t matter which way in the ANC between the factions,
paying the price. NO COHERENCE FROM ANC political fortunes, they are unable to take how much support should be shown to- faction comes out stronger, there might the cost is felt by South Africans outside • Dr Ralph Mathekga is a political analyst
Jacob Zuma’s arrest sparked intense On Sunday night, President Cyril Rama- a position in which they rise above fac- wards the president, and how vulnerable not be much left of the ANC as a political the party. and the author of When Zuma Goes and
factional conflict in the ANC and the phosa spoke about how those organising tional interests. is his presidency in the ongoing crisis? party. The internal divisions in the ANC are Ramaphosa’s Turn.
OUR READERS WRITE
COMPLAINTS,
CORRECTIONS AND
CLARIFICATIONS Inane BANISH HIM
Napoleon was banished to the is-
land of St Helena after his abortive
Disgusted by lack of
action from government
utterance
The editorial policy of
The Witness is to correct attempt to wield his power.
substantial errors Jacob Zuma should be banished In all my 50 plus years as a South African handed tactics are being used to restore to the point where they will take up arms
as soon as possible. to wherever the Guptas reside, Du- I have never been so disgusted and sick- peace and order. to protect themselves and their proper-
Please contact our public bai or India, so that his comrades ened by the non-existent actions of our The damage being done to our econo- ties.
editor/ombudsman, George in crime can take care of him. government and the lawless actions of my, at a time when the Covid-19 pan- Cyril Ramaphosa, your lackadaisical
from our leader
Claassen, at 021 8513232 or Surely he deserves some payback our fellow citizens. demic has already crippled us, will last attitude to our country burning is taking
george.claassen@media24.com time from them after all he did to The whole world is watching the vio- for years to come. our country a thousand steps back in
if you want to complain about help them enrich themselves? lence, looting and complete anarchy that Every shop and factory being looted time.
our content. PIXIE VAN HEERDEN is taking place in parts of our country. and destroyed adds to our rising unem- No amount of money paid out by in-
Wembley Why is our government not acting de- ployment. These actions and non-action surance companies will be enough to get
cisively to rein in the crowds? of the government have the potential to us back to the peace and hopefulness we
OMBUDSMAN Jacob Zuma must be smiling from his
prison cell, watching KZN go up in
caught off guard. Instead of imposing
their authority in Nkandla, they let Zu-
A SHREDDED
This is clearly not about Jacob Zuma
anymore. This is pure criminality taking
place so it’s baffling to see why no heavy
turn our country to civil war due to the
mere fact that the rest of our communi-
ties are tired of the rampant lawlessness
had as a nation before all this started.
TYRONE DANIELS
Cape Town
The Witness subscribes to the Code of Ethics
flames in his name.
“They thought that by locking me up,
ma protesters gather in numbers in open
defiance of the lockdown regulations.
WORLD
and Conduct for South African Print and
Online Media that prescribes news that is
truthful, accurate, fair and balanced. If we
it would be the end of Zuma. Ah, they
got it wrong. They never foresaw that
even if I am behind bars, I still wield enor-
And so we are paying a heavy price
for poor, ineffective law enforcement.
Outnumbered and over-powered, the
A shredded world,
its strips,
We need to learn to
don’t live up to the Code, please contact the
Public Advocate at
mous power and influence. See what my
loyal supporters are doing to get me out
police struggled to quell the rioting. And
all the leaders could do in this great hour
pegged to invisible cables,
flap aimlessly
practice selfless love
011 484 3612, fax: 011 of jail. They are mobilizing all over the of need is call for peace and calm. Some in an indifferent wind.
4843619. You can also province and creating havoc. Hee, hee, even called for a presidential pardon for ROS POSEL The media and courts call burning We are struggling to rebuild a failing We need to learn to practice selfless
contact our Case hee, I am more effective as a leader inside Zuma. Hilton trucks “malicious damage to property”, society and economy. The sabotage of love that builds by serving, integrity
Officer on khanyim@ombudsman.org.za or a prison than outside it.” In his address last Sunday night, Pres- plunging a city into darkness “cable looting the fiscus has been so treason- that develops and does not break down,
lodge a complaint on our website: And so we see violent protests spread ident Cyril Ramaphosa said that “no theft”, and destroying Prasa “burning ous that it undermines our hopes of forgiveness that replaces racial hatred,
www.presscouncil.org.za like wildfire all over KZN, even spilling acts of violence will be tolerated”. Such carriages”, etc. prosperity. If we embrace other forms faithfulness in the place of self-serving
over to Gauteng. inane utterance from a leader at a time Why do we no longer call sabotage, of sabotage we join the destroyers and theft, generosity in the place of grab-
Zuma supporters created mayhem, of crisis. In fact, his government has been sabotage? deepen poverty and despair. bing, valuing hard work in place of enti-
COPYRIGHT: The Natal
Witness Printing and Publishing looting and vandalising private proper- very tolerant of violence and disorder. Why not call treason, treason? There is a better way to respond to tlement and standing on our rights.
Co (Pty) Ltd: all rights expressly ty. They blocked roads, stoned motorists You think Zuma had a fitful night in Such actions do more damage now our national crisis. JONATHAN LARSEN
reserved. and torched vehicles. Millions of rands prison? He must have slept well, outwit- than they did in apartheid days. We need better values. Howick
ADVERTISING: Queries about the standards and
principles of advertising may be sent to the Advertising went up in smoke. What mindless de- ting his enemies yet again.
Standards Authority of South Africa at struction. THYAGARAJ MARKANDAN
complaint@asasa.org.za
It is obvious that the police were Kloof • THE Editor reserves the right to shorten longer letters and edit all contributions.
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