Greetings to all members of the Media from al Media House,
We gather today this evening, to provide an update and a situational analysis of the incidents of violent protests and looting that has been taking place around the province.
This morning, accompanied by members of the Provincial Executive, we visited a number of areas that have been left devastated and suffered destruction and looting over the past few days.
We started in the Cato Ridge/Hammarsdale area, where we witnessed for ourselves, the massive damage to property and the extent of the looting. I can confirm that some of these incidents were happening while we were there, and we had to intervene on the spot.
We the proceeded to Westmead, just outside the Pinetown area, where we also had to deal with serious challenges of looting, destruction of property and unfortunately, we had to witness the burning of the warehouse of the Clicks Pharmacy. Then we proceeded to the Springfield/ Umngeni Riverhorse Valley area, where we saw for ourselves what has happening there but also that is one area where a lot of people were arrested as we were arriving.
The damage that we have seen with our own eyes is massive, and we can safely say it amounts to several billions in damage to property and looted stock.
We want to state categorically that such destruction cannot be conducted in the name of our own former President Jacob Zuma.
This destruction is going to lead to massive loss of jobs. This destruction is going to increase unemployment in the province of KwaZulu-Natal and the country. This destruction is going to deter investors from investing in capital and infrastructure.
The looting has to stop, and it has to stop now.
We have established the preliminary extent of the losses so far. This is not a final figure as we are still in the process of collating the final figures. We estimate the damage to be more than R3 billion.
Among the areas that have been hardest hit by the unrest are the Warehouses and Shopping Centres.
The hardest hit areas are the Districts of Msunduzi and EThekwini which are part of our economic hubs as they constitute the nucleus of the economy of KwaZulu-Natal.
We have many of other affected businesses per district and we attach these as addendums.
DEATHS AND ARRESTS
The death toll in the province was calculated yesterday to be 26 people but today we have learnt that the death toll has increased. Most deaths seem to have been caused by stampedes and fighting among looters. Over 1000 people are now out of work.
We can confirm that there are a number of reports that indicate that there are more deaths. It will be better to consolidate that report and we will provide it once it has been confirmed. Law enforcement agencies have arrested more than 1000 people to date and that does not include people who were arrested during our visits to these areas.
We have been taken aback that among those arrested include Municipal and Public servants as well as some Police Officers. We have also noted that employees or former employees in some of the businesses that were looted are behind these incidents, as they have knowledge of the business premises and operations.
RETURNING THE SITUATION TO NOMALCY – INTENSIFYING LAW ENFORCEMENT OPERATIONS
We want to commend our law enforcement agencies for the work they have been doing, it may appear in the unsuspecting eye as if there has been weaknesses, however, we can assure the nation that they have done a lot otherwise the situation will be worse that what we are seeing today.
Our law enforcement have protected the national key points, protected critical infrastructure, courts, power stations, and reservoirs. In this situation there are battles that may appear to have been lost but a lot has been done to protect our province and country in the bigger scheme of things.
We have put forward a plan to return the situation to normalcy. We have directed all our law enforcement officers to be merciless against the criminal elements – let’s identify them and arrest them.
Anybody who continue with the looting and is found with stolen goods must know that there will be consequences.
We are intensifying engagements with various sectors of our society and engaging with communities to desist from the looting spree they are doing. This work will continue across the districts of the province led by the MEC’s, Mayors, Councillors, Amakhosi and community leaders.
Leadership visibility will continue so that the engagement with the community is fruitful and yields immediate results.
The law enforcement agencies including the Police, SANDF, RTI and Municipal Police will be undertaking coordinated operations targeted at criminal syndicates which seem to have hijacked the situation. These must be isolated and prosecuted. We want workers to return to work and that must be done with immediate effect.
The province is now facing a serious threat. We are seeing panic buying, petrol shortage and the looting of various places including CIPLA which manufactures live saving medication and this brings a serious threat to the lives of the people of KwaZulu-Natal.
THE LOOTING AND DAMAGED TO DATE PER DISTRICT
ETHEKWINI:
Makro – Umgeni Queen Nandi Drive – Game Marianhill Supermarket Tastic Rice – Montclair Clairwood Value Logistics – Cato Ridge Afrox Newlands East Shops – Durban City Centre Gateway Mall Texas Trucking – Cato Manor LG Factory & SA warehouse and Makro in Cornubia Hundreds of millions of rand worth of stock looted in Riverhose Valley Warehouses; Millions Rand worth of stock looted at the Value Logistics warehouse; Glenwood Spar and Village, Westmead, Mega City, Bridge City, Southway Mall, Queensmead Mall;
EMPANGENI:
Jwayelani Cambridge Multiple incidents of looting at malls in Empangeni / Richards bay / KwaMbonambi / Esikhawini
PIETERMARITZBURG:
There were 15 Incidents of Looting at Shops in PMB City CBD
Makro Hayfield Mall Scottburgh Mall Brookside Mall A lot of truck Hijacking around Mkondeni
ZULULAND
10 Incidents on looting at mall in Nongoma: Shoprite Checkers, Small Businesses
PORT SHEPSTONE:
Shoprite Checkers Port Edward Mall Harding Shopping Centre Umzinto Shopping Centre Izingolweni Shopping Complex Mbolombe Market
LADYSMITH AND NEWCASTLE
Incident at DEFY Factory and various Malls being looted.
OTHER FACTORIES LOOTED
Sumitomo/ Dunlop Warehouse. Defy in Ezakheni was also looted; Pick ‘n Pay distribution Centre in Mahogany Ridge.
All of these are key in the economy of the province. Knowing the situation as it is, we are going to meet tomorrow morning to finalise our plan and hit the ground running with soldiers and police. We have instead on the members of the National Security Cluster to come down to KwaZulu-Natal and we must all be on the ground. That will assist us to reinforce the police. While man y will want to criticise the police, I take off my hat for what I have seen them doing. Preventing the loss of life, dispersing the crowd and ensuring that they protect the infrastructure in all the areas we have visited.
CALLING FOR PEACE AND CALM IN THE PROVINCE
We have also received reports that in Chatstworth, Phoenix, Kloof, Ballito and others, there are emerging racial tensions arising from some members of the communities being prevented from entering these neighbourhoods.
We must not allow this common challenge to divide us. We call on all the communities of our cities and towns to work together across racial lines to isolate the looters so that they can be prosecuted. The first step is not to buy stolen goods. The second is to report all those who have looted so that they can be arrested.
I must insist that nobody must be denied entry to an area where they reside. There is no area that is designated for Whites or Africans alone, we all are South Africans.
We call for unity and social cohesion.
What awaits us is the rebuilding of our province which must start immediately.
We have already started our stakeholder engagement with all stakeholders. Today, just before this media engagement, we concluded the engagement with the religious sector. I can confirm that we have had an engagement with the business sector, labour, civil society, traditional leaders and those in the public transport sector, including SANTACO.
We want to be clear, tomorrow we will be briefing the Legislature, following our own engagements with political party leaders in KwaZulu-Natal. We all seek to ensure that the situation returns to normality and that must be achieved with immediate effect.
People are starving, they are losing jobs and we all need to work together. We must tackle this challenge together.
We must take back KwaZulu-Natal from the looters. It does not belong to criminals, but it belongs to law abiding citizens and those who are engaged in efforts of building peace, unity and prosperity.
I thank you.