A service delivery protest at Zone 11 Hostel ended with foreign spaza shops being looted and a young man dying last Tuesday.
The day before, residents took to the streets their dissatisfaction about the lack of services in the area such as sewerage, terrible road infrastructure and poor sanitation.
On the day, the police were able to restore order but the next day, the number of protesters had increased, the protest continued.
The busy Soweto Highway was barricaded and tyres burned in the middle of the road.
A patroller and resident at the hostel, Gabriel Shezi said protesters could not be controlled.
He said: “The protest got out of control and shops were looted.
“There are people who came with their own agendas and that is to destroy while others are simply concerned about the poor living conditions at the hostel.
“Those who looted the shop are opportunists who don’t understand why there was a protest.”
According to Shezi one of the spaza shop owners fired gunshots and a young man from the hostel was shot dead.
Police spokesperson Kay Makhubela said upon intervention, residents stoned a police vehicle.
A case of murder and malicious damage to property has been opened but no arrests have been made.
