Zandspruit takes hard stance against looting

The councillor for Ward 114, Victor Mafinya met with security companies, local patrollers and community members on Tuesday 13 July to restore confidence in residents and ensure that looting would not take place in Zandspruit.

The group met to establish patrols in the area with hopes of returning to some form of normalcy for both businesses and residents. Stakeholders shared their hopes to have the Zandspruit shopping centre operational again, after it had been closed down due to the looming threats of looting. “This center means a lot to us. We are here in solidarity. We don’t want to see these things happen in Zandspruit. We need visibility in every corner, the community must know what we do and who we are,” one of the volunteers said.

Officials encouraged patrollers to ensure that residents were indoors by 9pm so that people would not be wandering around late at night. Mafinya said they were sending a message as community leaders to individuals or groups that might try to loot. “We are saying; not in our names. You cannot come and loot in our centers. We strongly condemn what is currently happening in South Africa, particularly in Gauteng and Mpumalanga,” he continued, “we are in solidarity with all those who are refusing to take part in the looting.”

Rioting and looting spread to Gauteng early this week and several businesses and shopping centers have had to close down as a precaution. The Zandspruit patrollers join many communities that are taking a staunch stance against the criminal activities and ensuring that local businesses continue to operate within the community.