At least 45 people have died in the looting and violence that has rocked Gauteng and KwaZulu-Natal following the incarceration of former President, Jacob Zuma last week.
Gauteng premier David Makhura says 11 more fatalities have been recorded bringing to 19 the number of deaths in the province.
Makhura was briefing the media at the Ndofaya mall in Soweto on Tuesday. He says one of the deceased is a Metro police officer.
“The number of those who have died has jumped to 19 as a result of the 10 that died in the stampede in this shopping centre here during looting late afternoon the police discovered that in the evening. We have a Metro Police officer from Ekurhuleni, a member of the EMPD, he was shot at.”
In the video below is the full address by Premier Makhura:
In KwaZulu-Natal, Premier Sihle Zikalala says 26 people have lost their lives in the past few days.
Addressing a virtual media conference, Zikalala warned that the province must not descend into its violent past where political violence in the 1990s saw scores killed in the province.
“These episodes of violence are inflicting many lasting scars. The latest fatalities confirmed by the security cluster in KZN are standing at 26 these were people that were killed in stampedes as protestors ran riot. As of last night, law enforcement agencies have arrested 187 suspects.”
In the video below premier Zikalala addresses the people of the province on the developing situation:
Arrests made
Earlier on Tuesday, Police Minister, Bheki Cele, called for an immediate end to the looting, vandalism, and ongoing disregard for the law. There have been 757 arrests made since the start of the unrest.
Cele was speaking during the Justice, Crime Prevention, and Security Cluster briefing.
“The current situation on the ground is under strong surveillance and we will ensure that it does not deteriorate any further. We cannot allow anyone to make a mockery of our democratic state and we have instructed our law enforcement agencies to double their efforts to stop the violence and to increase deployment on the ground. We call for an immediate end to the looting and the disregard for the law and call for an immediate return for peace and stability.”
In the video below is Minister Cele’s address:
