Looting will have dire knock-on effects – Mayor

City of uMhlathuze Mayor Mdu Mhlongo has warned of the devastation set to follow the rampant looting and unrest in the city over the past few days.

The mayor, who has called for calm, said the looting of shops, malls, liquor outlets, hardware stores and vandalism of factories, industries and petrol stations will result in job losses and affect food supply.

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‘We are already feeling the severe impact of these lootings on the second day now. People cannot get bread and milk, medications and fuel.

This is not only because they are closed for security reasons, but also because they are being looted and vandalised. ‘We have already begun to get indications that truck companies transporting fuel have cancelled orders from KwaZulu-Natal.

This will affect the whole food value chain. This will affect everyone regardless of your standing in community, whether you are poor or rich,’ he said.

He said the City of uMhlathuze has formulated a Joint Operations Committee (JOC) that co-ordinates the municipal emergency services, fire and rescue brigade, city traffic, Community Policing Forums (CPF), Business Against Crime, Malls Management, public entities, the Port of Richards Bay, and major businesses to help monitor the situation and assist the SAPS.

‘We are hoping the deployment of South African National Defence Force members working with SAPS and other security cluster members will bring stability to our region which is already counting major losses amid the torching of shopping centres, and severe vandalism.

‘We request that responsible community members assist the police to bring the situation to normal,’ Mhlongo added.