19 Killed in Gauteng, Death Toll Climbs As Unrest Spirals
- Gauteng Premier David Makhura on Tuesday confirmed that the death toll in his province has now climbed to 19
- 10 people reportedly died in a stampede at the Ndofaya Mall in Meadowlands, Soweto, adding to the number of those killed
- Makhura said some of those pronounced dead comprised members of a family that participated in the lootings
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David Makhura, the Gauteng Premier, has confirmed that the current death toll in the province is up to 19 after a stampede at Ndofaya Mall in Meadowlands, Soweto, claimed more lives on Tuesday.
Speaking to SABC News as rolling violence and looting in the province spirals, Makhura said 10 people died after a stampede broke out at the shopping centre.
Source: Getty Images
"Ten people at this mall, out of a stampede that took place, have passed on. The people who lost their lives are family members who were out there," explained Makhura.
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Death toll in Gauteng and KZN stands at 45, expected to climb
Makhura said some of those pronounced dead had participated in the lootings. Meanwhile, in KwaZulu-Natal (KZN), Premier Sihle Zikalala said riots in the province have, so far, claimed the lives of 26 people.
The toll in the two provinces is expected to grow.
"The latest fatalities confirmed by the Security Cluster in KwaZulu-Natal as of this morning stands at 26," Zikalala told a media briefing.
"These were people that were killed during stampedes as protesters ran riot in areas including Umlazi, KwaMashu, Inanda, Phoenix [among others]."
EC Premier Oscar Mabuyane on edge, asks SANDF to be on high alert
In recent news, Briefly News reported that Eastern Cape Premier Oscar Mabuyane has put out a call that the South African National Defence Force (SANDF) be on alert amid looming threats of civil unrest in the province.
This after seeing messages from people trying to mobilise residents and orchestrate incidents of violence, according to EWN, where Mabuyane said that he was extremely concerned about the looting and riots playing out elsewhere.
Gauteng and KwaZulu-Natal have seen days of widespread public violence and looting by pro-Jacob Zuma supporters in response to the imprisonment of the former president.
With looming threats of similar unrest in the Eastern Cape, Mabuyane confirmed that law enforcement is investigating the origin of the messages, a report by TimesLIVE noted.
"I have asked national government to put soldiers who are based in our province on high alert for deployment to support our police officers if the need arises.
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Source: Briefly News
