Taxi Associations Stand Up To Protect Malls And Stop Looting
- The South African National Taxi Council in Tshwane says the organisation will protect malls in the city against looting
- The taxi industry says looting and destruction of infrastructure will not only cause unemployment but will also affect the industry
- Santco in KwaZulu was forced to stop operations in the province due to continued violence and looting
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As looting, theft and destruction of property continue in KwaZulu-Natal and Gauteng, taxi associations in Gauteng say they are prepared to protect malls and shopping centres against looting and destruction.
The South African National Taxi Council (Santaco) in Tshwane has ordered all regional taxi associations to go out their numbers to protect the city's major malls, according to a report by News24.
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Santaco chairperson Abner Tsebe stated that the taxi sector should act quickly and support the South African Police Services and some community members in their efforts to protect businesses against large-scale looting.
Tsebe added that Santaco has taken this stance in anticipation of the lootings in Johannesburg spreading to Tshwane. He also gave a stern warning to those who were planning to loot malls in the city.
The leadership of the industry strongly warns those with intentions to loot to desist from any attempts as they will find the industry waiting,” said Tsebe.
Tsebe stated that the destruction of infrastructure and looting will only lead to the loss of jobs and in turn affect the taxi industry.
"It is, therefore, in our interests to stand against this form of outrageous thuggery. It must be noted that our efforts do not replace law enforcement or act in competition," added Tsebe.
Santaco was forced to halt operations in KwaZulu-Natal on Monday due to the province's continuous unrest.
Pule Mabe says ANC not to blame for riots
Briefly News recently reported that ANC national spokesperson Pule Mabe said the party should not be held responsible for the looting and infrastructure destruction perpetrated in the name of former president Jacob Zuma.
Mabe stated that the people involved in the looting and destruction of property were not members of the ANC and warned against linking them to the party, according to a report by IOL.
"When you loot a shop, that's a criminal activity, it has nothing to do with the ANC – a crime is a crime," Mabe said.
Mabe was reacting to the widespread looting, thefts and destruction of businesses in Gauteng and KwaZulu-Natal that began last week. Protests were initially initiated in response to the arrest of former president Jacob Zuma who was sentenced to 15-months by the Constitutional Court for being in contempt of court.
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Source: Briefly News
