The South African Council of Churches (SACC) has called on the police to declare an amnesty period of a week and to urge those who looted in Gauteng and KwaZulu-Natal to return the goods.

It has appealed to police not to arrest those who are willing to return the loot.

SACC General Secretary, Malusi Mpumlwana has challenged people to protect their infrastructure.

Mpumlwana says government should have a long term plan to deal with social ills.

Mpumlwana outlines their Campaign for Restoration with Amnesty: “Churches wish to encourage people who have looted, to attempt to return things they stole, by delivering them at the nearest police stations. We do not expect a large-scale uptake of this, but we know that it is already in consideration in certain communities. The SACC request the Police to declare an amnesty for a period, say a week or two, during which time anyone who returns goods will not be prosecuted. This is the healing Campaign for Restoration with Amnesty to encourage a positive social conscience.”

Mpumlwana adds: “We believe there is a poetic justice in using State Looting money to compensate for this Public Looting. We urge an aggressive effort to restore the stolen monies; and suggest that Treasury considers applying such monies so recovered from State Capture looting to the development and sustenance of the proposed Economic Restoration Fund. We believe that such a fund can be the beginning of a fund that others, whose conscience inspires them to support, for the long overdue economic transformation.”