Chaos and violence have erupted in the city.
Germiston CBD was eerily quiet on Tuesday, with shops lining the inner-city streets locked up tight.
Even the Golden Walk, which is usually packed with customers, was closed, with roller doors blocking each entrance.
ALSO READ: Germiston CBD shops closed as threats of violence, looting circulate
SAPS and EMPD officers closed off several streets surrounding the Germiston Taxi Rank, where incidents of looting and criminality were being reported.
The officers escorted commuters out of the taxi rank in small groups with the aim of filtering out the criminal element.
“The criminals hid within the Germiston Taxi Rank,” said Const Maxwell Mabunda, the communications officer for the Germiston police.
Despite the best efforts of local business owners to protect their goods and stores, many were ransacked on Monday night.
When journalists from GCN and sister newspaper Bedfordview and Edenvale News visited the CBD, many business owners could be seen assessing the damage to their shops, while others loaded as many goods as they could into waiting vehicles before fleeing the scene.
“It is estimated that 30 shops surrounding the Germiston Taxi Rank were looted,” said Mabunda.
“The looters targeted not only foreign-owned shops, but locally owned shops as well.
“Police have arrested 35 suspects for public violence to date.”
Local business owner Naser Bukharia explained that his store had been completely cleaned out.
“They broke in and took everything,” Bukharia said.
“I don’t think we will continue to operate in the CBD any more.
“They say it’s an attack against foreigners, but we are from South Africa.”
Another shop owner, Kingsley Akachukwu, owner of Maduchi Electronics, explained that his shop in President Street had also been broken into and all his stock stolen.
Akachukwu has seven employees who depend on the income they earn at his store to support their families.
ALSO READ: Incidents of public violence in Germiston controlled by police
Germiston police and the Germiston SAPS Task Team were active in the CBD on Tuesday afternoon, helping business owners remove their stock from their shops to prevent further losses.
“Business owners contacted the police to facilitate these services,” said Mabunda.
During one of these operations, which was attended by a GCN journalist, looters attempted to approach the shop as it was being emptied. Rubber bullets were fired at the looters while a crowd of men, women and children looked on.
A CBD resident, who wished to remain anonymous, witnessed some of the looting.
“There is absolutely no control and therefore the looting continues with no end in sight,” the resident said.
“Police forces should be on the ground at all times.
“It is really depressing.
“The saddest thing is the businesses are being destroyed by our own South African brothers and sisters.”
Claims of looting in Lambton were not confirmed by the Germiston police.
More details will be released as they become available.
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Contact the newsroom by emailing: Melissa Hart (Editor) germistoncitynews@caxton.co.za or Leigh Hodgson (News Editor) leighh@caxton.co.za
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