Soweto calm on Wednesday following days of looting

The situation in Soweto has remained calm but tense  following days of looting shopping malls and local spaza shops.

Taxis are driving up and down the streets picking up people heading to various destinations. At the Maponya Mall, a group of residents spent the night around a fire guarding the mall together with the police and security guards.

The mall has not been attacked and communities say there was an attempt to loot Tuesday night, but the culprits were stopped and arrested by police.

At the Diepkloof Mall, there was no police on site. Security guards say soldiers came last night and left. They, however, say a group of people have been left to continue to loot one of the stores, as they were armed and attempted to set one of the shops alight.

The fire has since been extinguished.

Police say 683 people have been arrested in Gauteng since the start of the riots and looting incidents on Friday last week.

Forty-five people have lost their lives in the province, 10 of them during a stampede at the Ndofaya mall in Meadowlands in Soweto on Monday night.

A group of Soweto residents spent the night guarding the Maponya mall from beeing looted. They say there was an attempt but the culprits were arrested by the police. #SABCNEWS pic.twitter.com/sIgyadPQYH

— Tshepo (@tphagane) July 14, 2021

Aftermath of the Ndofaya Mall looting:

According to the South African government intelligence body, the National Joint Operational and Intelligence Structure (Nat Joints), the total number of people arrested has risen to 1 232 – 549 of them were nabbed in KwaZulu-Natal.

Nat Joints has also sent condolences to the family of deceased EMPD officer Meshack Mahlangu and wished the police members hurt while dealing with the looting and violence a speedy recovery.

Nat Joints spokesperson Brenda Muridili says: “With the recent deployment of the Defence Force members and the augmentation of law enforcement officers by the recalling of SAPS members from leave and rest days, more boots have been on the ground to police the rampant elements of criminality perpetuated by the looting of businesses and destruction of property.”

Discussion on the role of the SANDF deployed in parts of Gauteng and KZN: