The riots are now threatening food security as when we woke up yesterday people in KwaZulu-Natal were looking for open shops to buy basic food stuff.
Our sister publication, Times Live, reported on social media users who were searching for open places to buy bread, milk and baby formula. Many people were seen in long queues outside shops that were operating temporarily to buy the basic necessities, while motorists were also lining up in the few garages that were open for fuel.
The queues are likely to create another problem as we are in the vicious third wave of Covid-19. And sadly the current unrest have also disrupted the country's vaccination drive.
As looting of businesses continued yesterday, some residents were seen purchasing bread rolls from a car in Musgrave, Durban, and others selling bread from their homes in the Pietermaritzburg area.
The protests began on Friday by people calling for the release of former president Jacob Zuma to from prison. He was jailed after being found guilty of contempt of court after he failed to appear before the commission of inquiry into state capture. The demonstrations had criminal elements from the beginning as they torched more than 30 trucks and looted businesses.
If the riots continue for more days, the hotspots might run out of food and fuel as shops and petrol stations shut down to protect their staff and properties. Many freight companies are also not operating fearing for their employees' safety and their goods being stolen, that leaves us with limited of goods moving around. We hope authorities will be able to halt the riots before the situation becomes dire.
These was no end in sight by yesterday as the looting continued in KZN and Gauteng, there were 10 people reported to have died overnight in Soweto during looting at a mall. And nine more who also perished in different parts of Gauteng in activities linked to riots. We call on law enforcement agencies to add more personnel on the ground and beef up operations.
In the words of President Cyril Ramaphosa, "this is not who we are as South Africans". People can protest peacefully and air our grievances without the use of violence.
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