TANKISO MAKHETHA and RAPULA MOATSHE
Pretoria - Looting continued during the Tshwane unrest on Wednesday with stores in Slovo Phase 4 in Winterveld being hit.
A group of about 70 people stood outside the Slovo Phase 4 stores while another group of about 10 broke in through the door and windows.
Chaos reigned after those who broke into the store opened the door.
Residents stormed into the shop and helped themselves to the merchandise. While most of the looters managed to run out with groceries, police rushed to the scene and nabbed about 20 of them.
“I know what they are doing is wrong, but people are hungry and don’t have jobs. They are desperate to put food on the table,” said a resident.
This was just one of dozens of scenes that played out in townships across Tshwane.
Atteridgeville, Hammanskraal, Ga-Rankuwa, Mamelodi, Mabopane, Soshanguve and other townships were plunged into anarchy following the announcement of Thoko Didiza as the City of Tshwane’s mayoral candidate ahead of the local government elections.
Violent protests broke out in townships as disgruntled ANC members took to the streets to express dissatisfaction with Didiza who is set to replace outgoing executive mayor Kgosientso Ramokgopa.
He addressed Atteridgeville residents in a bid to curb the violence. While the burning of trucks and buses died down, this was soon replaced by widespread looting and stoning of foreign-owned shops.
Police said on Wednesday that two suspected looters were shot dead.
The two killed were shot on Tuesday night, the police spokeswoman Colonel Noxolo Kweza said. She did not disclose who had shot them.
"Two of the suspects were shot and killed following looting at Mamelodi," police said in a statement, adding that those arrested would face charges of violence and theft.
"Incidents of protests and looting continued in other areas while situation is tense in others."
On Wednesday it was a cat and mouse game between police and community members, who would flee with their loot at the first sight of law enforcement agencies.
“We don’t encourage what is happening in Tshwane. We are concerned with what is happening in places like Atteridgeville and Mamelodi,” said Jan Mabelane, an ANC member from the north of Pretoria.
Mabelane and other members had taken it upon themselves to dissuade people through the use of a megaphone. “We still need development in this area. We cannot afford to be burning buildings and looting from people who are a part of our community. It won’t help our course moving forward,” said Mabelane.
Shops and shopping complexes in most townships remained closed throughout Wednesday as fears of looting persisted.
The ANC Women’s League (ANCWL) believes patriarchy was at play in Tshwane during the violent protests.
ANCWL president Bathabile Dlamini said some of the placards hoisted during protests showed the depth of patriarchy and power relations in the society at large.
“Some of the placards I have seen, even carried by a woman, suggest that comrade Thoko slept her way to make it into the mayoral candidacy. There are those who still believe women get into positions through such ways,” Dlamini said.
“The country still has a long way to go in dealing with patriarchy, tribalism and so on, it is not only women in politics who are oppressed, all women suffer oppression.”
The league was behind Didiza, who was a “tried and tested” leader and rose through the ranks of the ANC, said Dlamini.
She said women members of the ANC in Tshwane had told the ANCWL over the weekend that they accepted Didiza’s candidacy.
Secretary Meokgo Matuba shrugged off reports that Didza was set up for failure in Tshwane. “We strongly believe the ANC will win Tshwane. Comrade Thoko (Didiza) was not set up for failure, it is important to note that this is not about the individual, but the ANC. If we lose a municipality, it would not be because of the individual, but the organisation, the African National Congress,” said Matuba.
The league called for a 50/50 representation of women for the local government polls on 3 August 2016. Dlamini said the ANC was the only party that had a policy of 50/50 representation in the country. “The Constitution does not provide quotas to ensure adequate representation of women in elected public bodies, nor are there any legal quotas established for national, provincial and local government elections,” said Dlamini.
“The ANC is the only political party in South Africa that has 50/50 representation in its policy frameworks. This should be commended and we are pleased with the commitment of the ANC and its outcomes for its candidates.” Three women, including Didiza, have been named by the ANC as metro mayoral candidates for the polls. “This is a tremendous achievement because in this administration, there were no female candidates in our metropolitan municipalities,” said Dlamini.
The SACP in Gauteng also threw its weight behind Didiza.
Her candidacy would mark a decisive turning-point towards a two-thirds majority electoral victory for the ANC in the city.
The party described the raging violence in Tshwane as sheer acts of criminality, which were planned, co-ordinated and sponsored.
The party announced the appointment of a task team, led by its provincial chairman Joe Mpisi, to investigate involvement of its youth wing in the violence. - Additional reporting ANA
Pretoria News