Members of the KwaZulu-Natal Provincial Executive Council, MEC for Transport, Community Safety and Liaison, Ms Neliswa Peggy Nkonyeni and MEC for Economic Development, Tourism and Environmental, Mr Ravi Pillay, as directed by Premier Mr Sihle Zikalala and the Provincial Executive Council today monitored and assessed the situation at Mooi River following the recent spate of violent protests.

Part of the monitoring included assessing the extent of the damage to property and also assessing police visibility in the area which was among the worst affected. At least 28 trucks were torched in Mooi River Toll Plaza while six shops were looted in the town.

To-date a total of 37 trucks had been torched in various parts of the province (28 were torched in Mooi River; 6 on the N2 in Zululand; 1 in Umgababa; 1 in Lidgetton; and 1 on the R603).

Conservative estimates are that the damage to private and public property is at approximately R100 million, however the information is still being collated. With KwaZulu-Natal having two strategic ports, this disruption is likely to also have a negative economic impact on other parts of the country.

We commend law enforcement agencies for the work done so far. No less than 37 people have been arrested in the province for activities related to the protests. Charges against these individuals ranged from malicious damage to property, public violence, business burglary to the contravention of the Disaster Management Act Regulations.

A multi-pronged response plan has been developed and is being implemented by law enforcement agencies. The plan includes among others:

- Maintaining high police visibility in areas identified as hotspots.

- Engaging with affected stakeholders, including business and transport stakeholders.

- Intensive stakeholder engagement to stabilize the situation on the ground.

The plan will be constantly reviewed to ascertain whether there will be any need for additional reinforcements.

We have noted various social media posts and messages indicating an intention by some to intensify these illegal protests from this evening leading to tomorrow. We want to assure the citizens of the province that the police are closely monitoring the situation and will not hesitate to act against anyone found to be breaking the law. We call on all the people of KwaZulu-Natal to work with law enforcement agencies and volunteer information that might lead to further these activities being averted.

We have also engaged with the National JCPS to receive additional support and resources where necessary.

The Provincial Executive Council also calls on members of the public to desist taking part in any of the protests as they are illegal and urges them to respect the rule of law.

Furthermore, we appeal for people to stop inciting violence through platforms such as social media – this is a criminal offence and will be punished.

In the upcoming days, the provincial government will be engaging with all social partners including civil society, business, the taxi industry, labour and other formations over this situation.

The Provincial Executive Council noted with concern the various illegal activities and vehemently condemned the closure of main roads, looting of businesses and damage to private and public property. We are appealing for calm and restraint.

The provincial government remains committed to engagements with our people and all sectors of society to find an amicable solution. Our response strategy is a multi-pronged approached since we believe there is no one size fit all approach.

The current situation is painting a negative narrative about our province and cannot be allowed to continue since it will derail our economic recovery efforts, undermine business confidence and may in turn result in the loss of jobs.

These criminal actions which are carried out by a few elements constitute a violation of the rights of millions of law abiding citizens of this province who now find themselves unable to conduct their daily business. The blocking of major economic arterial routes like the N3, the N2 and access to ports, the looting of shops and torching of trucks have resulted in the disruption of economic activity.

In conclusion, we appeal to people to adhere to the Covid-19 regulations as infections continue to rise. Many people have lost their loved ones and we must all act responsibly to avoid future loss of lives.