Pedestrians cross a street littered with stones and bricks in Turfontein, south of Johannesburg, Monday Sept. 2, 2019. Police had earlier fired rubber bullets as they struggled to stop looters who targeted businesses as unrest broke out in several spots in and around the city. (AP Photo/Themba Hadebe) Pedestrians cross a street littered with stones and bricks in Turfontein, south of Johannesburg, Monday Sept. 2, 2019. Police had earlier fired rubber bullets as they struggled to stop looters who targeted businesses as unrest broke out in several spots in and around the city. (AP Photo/Themba Hadebe)
Johannesburg - The City of Johannesburg Emergency Management Services had to withdraw from their duty as looters were aggressive in the Johannesburg CBD after they set alight a store in Bree Street on Monday afternoon.
The City’s EMS spokesperson, Robert Mulaudzi said they received a call regarding the fire in one of the shops and could not proceed to the shop as the looters were aggressive.
“We tried making way and unfortunately, we could not extinguish the shop as the rioters were being aggressive and we had to withdraw,” Mulaudzi added.
The looting in the CBD is part of the sporadic looting incidents which erupted in parts of the province including areas such as Malvern, Tembisa and Turffontein.
Some of the looters said they were reclaiming the city from foreign owners and added that they were also protecting the police. This comes after an incident where police were attacked by foreign shop owners during an operation targeting counterfeit goods.
The looting started in Jeppestown where shops were looted and set alight and property was also damaged.
Gauteng police have since arrested over 40 suspects as a result of these looting incidents in the province.
The looters are allegedly targeting foreign owned stores and came days after a group of taxi drivers and taxi owners shut the Pretoria CBD down, after one taxi driver was allegedly killed by a drug dealer.
