Police recover explosives and other items looted during Diepkloof protest [VIDEO]

Police have recovered explosives that were looted during volatile service delivery protest in Diepkloof, Soweto.

Residents of Diepkloof Hostel in Soweto embarked on a volatile service delivery protest on Wednesday, 14 June, bringing the N1 and N12 highway to a complete standstill.

Frustrated Diepkloof community members barricaded the highway with rocks and burning tyres on forcing motorists to make U-turns to avoid rapidly building traffic congestion.

Watch Diepkloof protestors looting a truck during protests in Soweto

#JHBTraffic This is not cool. Looting a truck while there is heavy traffic congestion. Actually, I don’t call it looting. It’s stealing. It’s believed that this is near Soweto this morning. #Diepkloof #Protest video: supplied. @SAPoliceService @JoburgMPD pic.twitter.com/wkZLjOvT9N

— 𝙵𝚊𝚒𝚣𝚎𝚕 𝙿𝚊𝚝𝚎𝚕 ⚡️ (@FaizelPatel143) June 14, 2023

All roads in Diepkloof have since been reopened to traffic following the earlier closure.

Explosives looted

Police spokesperson Colonel Mavela Masondo said the Diepkloof residents looted trucks during their protest action.

“The protesters stopped and looted two trucks that were loaded with groceries and explosives before running back into the hostel.”

ALSO READ: Diepkloof protest brings highways to standstill

Looted items recovered

Masondo said Saps officers including the Johannesburg Metro Police Department (JMPD), the Tactical Response Team, Bomb-Disposal Unit and other law enforcement officials pounced on the looters to recover the stolen items.

“The officials responded swiftly to recover the looted goods, especially the explosives due to the danger that they posed to the residents.

“A search was conducted at the hostel, with the help of community leaders (Izinduna). The Provincial Commissioner has appreciated the working relationship that the Saps continues to have with Izinduna and all community structures in the fight against crime,” Masondo said.

Public violence

Masondo added that police have opened a case of public violence. No arrests have been made yet.

Gauteng Provincial Commissioner Lieutenant General Elias Mawela commended law enforcement agencies that responded swiftly to recover the explosives during the Diepkloof protest.

Gauteng crime stats

Meanwhile, Gauteng has recorded worrying increases in violent crimes between January and March in 2023.

Mawela presented the fourth quarter (Q4) crime statistics for 2022/2023 to the Gauteng Legislature’s Portfolio Committee on Community Safety on Wednesday.

He said overall crime in Gauteng has increased by 2 129 counts compared to the same time last year.

Mawela said even though the overall percentage has not gone down, they have made significant progress.

“Gauteng has contributed 27.2% to the overall national crime statistics for Q4 of 2022/2023. It is worth noting that we have observed over the five-year period that this contribution is slightly reducing as in 2019 our contribution was 28,2% which reflects a decrease by 1%,” he said.

ALSO READ: Gauteng records worrying increases in violent crimes