ETHEKWINI mayor, Mxolisi Kaunda, yesterday engaged with community leaders on the City’s interventions to restore peace and stability following public unrest.
Kaunda met community leaders from Phoenix, Inanda, Ntuzuma, KwaMashu, Verulam and Hillcrest.
READ ALSO: VIDEO: KZN looting disrupts response to medical emergencies
During the engagement, the leaders unanimously rejected the acts of violence and racism and pledged their commitment to work with all sectors to restore peace and stability in communities.
During his address he said he was alerted to a voice note, circulating on social media, asking people to loot stores and businesses, and to then go into Indian areas and kill Indian people.
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According to Kaunda, the voice note further stated that people should also go into the white areas to loot and kill white people too.
“When the communities heard this, they mobilised to protect their areas… they have seen what has been happening… I was also stopped in a roadblock and I had to explain where I was going… Only SAPS can collaborate roadblocks, not us community members. But they are doing this because there is fear. They think because they don’t see the police that they [police] are not around so they protect their properties but in doing so, they have committed crimes.”
Interventions agreed upon at the engagements include enhanced law enforcement by police to ensure the safety of communities and the establishment of a multi-sectoral task team to fast-track stabilisation in communities.
“It is time for the current unrest to stop and for all of us to start rebuilding our City and the economy which has already been battered by the Covid-19 pandemic. If this unrest continues, it will have a long-term devastating impact on our lives and livelihoods,” Mayor Kaunda said.
The City is currently assessing the economic impact of the unrest. Kaunda will be visiting other communities in eThekwini to promote peace and stability.
The mayor was encouraged by the commitment of all leaders in the various sectors including taxi associations, religious leaders, ratepayer associations, aMakhosi, community policing forums, business leaders and the police to start rebuilding eThekwini.
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