Looting takes over

“I decided that I was not going to leave my home and come here, they can kill me if I get in their way,” said Mabopane business owner Jonas Kabinde yesterday shortly before police fired rubber bullets at looters in Mabopane close to Pretoria, South Africa.Kabinde operates a Multiserv franchise from Morula Shopping Complex, which was raided by looters after darkness fell on Tuesday night. “I am worried about my business – it is my whole life,” he said.Many businesses in townships across Tshwane have remained closed on Wednesday amid fears of looting.A Pep Store, Kabinde’s neighbour, had storefront glass smashed in and shelves overturned by looters who stole all they could carry. “Yesterday we closed at 13:00 because we heard people were on their way to the complex [to loot it] so they advised us to close.”“At about 19:00 last night somebody who lives in the area phoned me and said that people were trying to break the fence at the complex and I must go and check my shop. I decided that I was not going to leave my home and come here; they can kill me if I get in their way,” he said. Kabinde said he feared for his life.“If they took this [the shop] I would have nothing left. I don’t know what to expect but I am worried because I don’t know when this thing is going to end,” he added.Residents went on the rampage while protesting against the nomination of Thoko Didiza as the ANC mayoral candidate in Tshwane.Residents and party members want incumbent mayor Kgosientso Ramokgopa to continue leading the city beyond 3 August.Roads were littered with debris indicating the destruction that took place in the township on Tuesday night.By midday yesterday much of the rioting had slowed down with pockets of protestors mostly isolated in various areas. Looting however, was reported to be on the increase in various areas and media on scene reported that many shops were broken into and raided. Clean-up operations had begun in some areas including the point of origin, Atteridgeville, west of Pretoria.NEWS24

Looting takes over

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Namibian Sun 2025-06-20

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Looting takes over

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Namibian Sun 2025-06-20

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