It’s “business as usual” in the Western Cape as law enforcement in the City of Cape Town remains on high alert amid rumours of a national shutdown.
According to Mayoral committee member for safety and security Alderman JP Smith, plans have been put in place to ensure the safety of residents and a list of potential targets have been put together with regular patrols taking place in these areas throughout the day.
However, it appears to be a different story in Durban. On Friday morning, hundreds of residents took to the streets of Durban’s CBD where they appeared to loot a shop as fear of a national shutdown took hold.
The video footage was shared by Independent Media’s senior journalist, Sihle Mavuso.
BREAKING NEWS: The national shutdown over fuel hikes in Durban has started on a bad note. Some residents of the city are looting shops and stalls within the CBD. Alert police have to fire teargas and stun grenades when there was an attempt to loot some shops. @DailyNewsSA pic.twitter.com/o7o63Ah8Km
— Sihle Mavuso (@ZANewsFlash) June 10, 2022
Despite the chaos that took hold in the early hours of Friday morning, things appeared to be ‘back to normal’ with taxis operating as usual, as per IOL.
Another case of almost looting took place in Hammarsdale, Durban, where a large crowd attempted to loot a mall on Thursday night. However, the crowd was dispersed after taxi owners and operators fired shots in the air, reports News24.
Rumours of a National Shutdown have been doing the rounds on social media and are believed to be due to high fuel costs, cost of living, and corruption.
Also read:
Possible national shutdown for South Africa on 10 June – what’s going on?
Picture: Twitter