South Africa's looting spree begins

Nozipho Mteshana, the movement’s national spokesperson, said what happened in Durban was “ the beginning”.

She said they marched last week to the city hall, where they asked the city’s authorities to forward their memorandum to the Presidency.

“We made it clear that if we don’t get a positive response from the municipality to our grievances, we would allow people to loot shops,” Mteshana said.

She warned that unless their demand for a basic income grant was met more looting would take place.

“People are unemployed and those who had been working are losing their jobs daily and our government is doing nothing.”

SHOOT: Things will get a lot worse still as poverty and the unemployment numbers increase. South Africa has a problem with its culture of criminality. Want something? Steal it. Angry? Burn something. Retailers will have to increase daytime security to stores and these costs will carried over...to guess who?

clipped from www.sowetan.co.za MEMBERS of the SA Unemployed People’s Movement went on the rampage yesterday afternoon, looting shops in Durban’s city centre. The movement, which claims to represent 26 million unemployed people in the country, had warned during last week’s protest that if they don’t get a positive response from the municipality they would unleash their members to loot. Nearly 200 people gathered yesterday morning and a decision to loot shops was taken. People, mostly women, went to Shoprite Checkers while others went to Pick n Pay. Sowetan witnessed people carrying grocery items from the stores. A cashier at Pick n Pay, who asked not to be named, said they were busy helping customers when the group of unemployed people came into the store and loaded groceries into trolleys. “At first I thought it was a joke but when the group started singing freedom songs and going past the tills without paying I realised they were serious.”