Powerless rampage in Bophelong

BOPHELONG.- Hundreds of Bophelong households were left without electricity for nearly 27 hours last Monday.

The angry, volatile community members ran amok for two hours and then there was light. This happened at around 18:15 and lasted until 19:30. The community members took to the dark outdoors to barricade streets, burn tyres and empty dustbins. Everything came to a standstill when about 1000 angry residents raided the Golden Highway and the Bophelong intersection.

Community members placed rocks near the intersection and used them as weapons. After the Emfuleni municipal electricity department switched on the electricity, the community proceeded to loot the tuck shops of foreign nationals. About six tuck shops were looted, while others were left with their walls smashed with brickwork lying on the ground. Young and old people were seen pushing wheelbarrows full of groceries away.

At one tuck shop on Mandela Road, residents gained entry by climbing onto the roof. Some members of the community tried to blame nyaope addicts but this was not the work of nyaope users as this journalist witnessed that most of the angry community were involved. No one was arrested during the chaos.