UPDATE+Videos: Rampaging rioters loot Eldos businesses

Clean-up in the aftermath of violent protests.

May 9, 2017

Enver Wessels 2 minutes read

Relative calm has descended on Eldorado Park following violent protests yesterday.

Rampaging rioters looted businesses in the area, making off with household goods of all descriptions.

A butchery in Extension Two was robbed and looters made off with meat products, while Pep stores and the BP in Extensions Three and Five were looted.

The extent of the damage to local businesses is severe, but the financial costs have not been added up as yet.

Community leaders and the Eldorado Park Community Policing Forum were out in their numbers yesterday evening as scores of protesters caused untold damage to store fronts to gain access and make away with goods.

Police exchanged fire with protesters throughout the evening with reports flooding in of residents suffering injuries as a result of rubber bullets.

WATCH A:

The Matlapeng Shoprite in neighbouring Freedom Park was also targeted by rioters who made off with alcohol, foodstuffs, and equipment.

One looter was seen wheeling away an ice-cream fridge as the protests turned into wanton acts of theft.

Transport from Eldorado Park seems to have returned to normal, with a few taxis picking up commuters who returned to work this morning.

The strike followed a number of incidents in Eldorado Park, from the barring of construction workers to local schools by residents who demand that government contracts be issued to local businesses before being outsourced.

A meeting around the shortage of houses in Eldorado Park held at the Don Mateman Civic Centre on Sunday seems to have been the spark which ignited the protest.

WATCH B:

This meeting was followed by WhatsApp messages urging Eldorado Park residents to stay at home and support protesters.

No individual or group has taken responsibility for yesterday’s service delivery protest, but prominent community leaders have denounced what they term a hijacking of the action by criminal elements within the area.

Meanwhile, streets littered with the debris from burning tyres are being cleaned up by entrepreneurial minded residents who intend on reselling the wiring for recycling purposes.

Many learners have been turned away from schools as parents fear that the violent protests may flare up again today, following rumours that foreign-owned spaza or house shops would be targeted next.

WATCH C: