Suspected looting instigator arrested as death toll rises
Over 2 200 people have been arrested in connection with the civil unrest of the past week, which has cost South Africa billions of rands.
One of the 12 suspected instigators of the violent protests that have crippled KwaZulu-Natal and Gauteng, is in custody.
This was confirmed during a media briefing by Acting Minister in the Presidency Khumbudzo Ntshavheni this afternoon (July 15).
She said police had arrested 725 people in Gauteng and 1 478 in KwaZulu-Natal since the outbreak of the violent protests, and confirmed that there had been a dramatic decrease in the number of incidents that occurred today.
Following today’s deployment, there are now 10 000 members of the South African National Defence Force (SANDF) on the streets. The death toll has grown to 91 in KwaZulu-Natal and 26 in Gauteng.
Six bodies were discovered on the roof of the Tembisa South Shopping Centre, but police are yet to link this to the current looting.
Minister Ntshavheni warned the public not to take the law into their own hands. She says racial tension incidents in Phoenix, north of Durban, was a concern for government and was addressed with community leaders today.
A call was made on residents not to instigate further violence nor to retaliate against the looters by using violence. The opening of the N1 and N3 is a priority, she said, as food security is directly impacted by the closures.
Also read: SA looting – We are losing more than money, says economist
