“Woolworths Looter” Mbuso Moloi Details Why He Participated in 2021 July Riots While Pleading Guilty to Theft

• The infamous Woolworths looter revealed why he decided to join the July 2021 riots
• The 32-year-old man told the court that he behaved impulsively when he decided to steal a basket of groceries from Woolworths
• Mbuso Moloi's crime fascinated Mzansi because, unlike the majority of the looters, Moloi was an affluent and well-off man

DURBAN- The "Woolworths looter" Mbuso Moloi has finally come clean about what possessed him to participate in the July 2021 riots, almost two years after the unrest.

Moloi appeared in the Durban Regional Court, where he pleaded guilty to a theft charge on Wednesday, 29 March.

Woolies looter tells court he behaved impulsively on day of riots

Addressing Magistrate Melanie de Jager, Moloi claimed that he acted impulsively when he joined the widespread looting that rocked SA.

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Moloi told the court that he had left his Cowies Hill home to buy toilet paper and sanitary pads on 22 July 2021, The Citizen reported.

The store he originally intended to shop at was barricaded, so he decided to leave.

On his way home, Moloi said he spotted a Woolworths engulfed by looters and, on the spur of the moment, decided to join in.

The Woolies looter found a shopping basket by the door and decided to fill it with products strewn on the floor, TimesLIVE reported.

Moloi said:

“I took the basket and collected some of the items ... exited the store and placed the basket in the back of my vehicle without paying for the goods and drove off.”

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Woolies looter denies causing revolt during 2021 July riots

Though Moloi admitted that he acted recklessly by stealing the basket of goods from Woolworths, he insisted that he did not cause a revolt, nor did he conspire to revolt or cause damage to property.

The state withdrew 16 other charges against him, including one of public violence.

The Woolies looter's case captivated South Africans because, unlike the majority of the rioters who was poor and marginalised, Moloi was relatively affluent.

The man drove a luxury Mercedes-Benze and lived in an affluent Durban suburb.

South Africans believe Woolies looter is remorseful for his actions

Below are some comments:

@phumy_mthembu sympathised:

"It’s always the small fry who ends up losing against the law. People looted so much more than him and they are without a criminal record."

@unathi79 added:

"He really regrets doing this, it has messed up his life, shem, a criminal record is not child's play."

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@QunuCC said:

"Eish, I feel sorry for him. Should have been the guy who was struggling to load the 200-inch plasma into his Tazz boot."

@Sako_za claimed:

"We have bigger looters that deserve this kind of attention."

@mphomj said:

"They’re making an example of this guy, shem."

Mom, son, Eskom senior buyer arrested for R14m tender fraud, SA says: “Lock them up, throw away the key”

In another story, Briefly News reported that a mother and son joined an Eskom senior buyer in court for allegedly defrauding the power utility of R14.7 million.

The pair, Rabela Sara Jones, 71, and her son, Godfrey Jason Jones, 46, were nabbed eight years after the alleged crime was committed. Former Eskom employee Thandeka Nkosi was also arrested and remanded into custody.

Mpumalanga Hawks Spokesperson Dineo Sekgotodi said the three were arrested by the Hawks’ Middelburg-based serious commercial crime investigation unit and Eskom forensic investigators. According to TimesLIVE, the accused are facing theft, fraud and money laundering charges.

Source: Briefly News