Looting and arrests shake Sharpeville after businessman’s death

A protest, which started on Tuesday, has snowballed to allegedly looting of foreign national-owned tuck shops, the death of a local businessman, and public violence arrests in Sharpeville in Emfuleni, Gauteng.

Chaos erupted in the historic area on Thursday morning after a local businessman was fatally shot and his employee sustained a gunshot wound on Wednesday evening.

Sharpeville community members allegedly looted foreign-owned tuck shops and burnt their stock.

Sharpeville residents loot foreign-owned tuck shop, burn stock

According to the Sedibeng Ster, residents said that they have had enough of foreigners operating businesses and the township while they suffer without jobs.

Gauteng police spokesperson Colonel Dimakatso Nevhuhulwi told The Citizen that the situation has been tense in Sharpeville since protests started on Tuesday.

ALSO READ: ‘Pack and go’ – Spaza shops looted in Sharpeville after fatal shooting

Nevhuhulwi said community members started looting foreigners’ tuck shops on Wednesday and carried on into Thursday.

As a result, five people have been arrested for public violence.

Three foreign nationals were also arrested for being in possession of unlicensed firearms.

Snacks on fire amid alleged poisionings

Meanwhile, snacks also went up in smoke in Bronkhorstspruit, Tshwane, on Thursday after at least 25 school pupils were rushed to the hospital after allegedly consuming food from a spaza shop.

ALSO READ: Crackdown on noncompliant Soweto spaza shops

The Mshuluzane Mayisela Primary School in Zithobeni pupils fell ill after allegedly consuming snacks purchased from street vendors outside the school.

“A total of 25 learners were transported to medical facilities for treatment. Of these, eight learners were taken to Kungwini Clinic and 17 to Zithobeni Clinic,” said Gauteng Department of Education spokesperson Steve Mabona.

Mabona said 22 pupils have since been discharged after receiving treatment.

Spaza shop inspections

The looting of spaza shops comes amid inspectors from the National Consumer Commission, along with Gauteng Health officials, conducting inspections on spaza shops.

On Monday and Tuesday, inspectors expired food in spaza shops in Naledi, Soweto, after conducting inspections at 16 stores.

ALSO READ: Spaza shops: Investigators find expired food, foreign products and even bullfrogs