Pretoria - While some shopping centres and malls in Mamelodi and parts of Atteridgeville succumbed to the violence and opportunistic looting as a result of the protests, community members in other parts of Tshwane have taken it upon themselves to protect local businesses in their area.
Even though some malls around Tshwane such as SunnyPark shopping centre have braved resuming with business operations amid the threats of violence, many shops around the city, particularly in townships, have continued to close.
While the Mamelodi mall was attacked last nigh with videos and images circulating on social media platforms, security continues to be beefed-up at other shopping centres.
The Denlyn shopping centre alongside the newly built Tshwane regional mall in Mamelodi was also closed early today, with the presence of Tshwane Metro Police Department officials.
Mams Mall in Mamelodi, one of the shopping centers which was looted last night. Video: Oupa Mokoena/African News Agency (ANA) @IOL #looting #LootingForZuma #ShutdownSA @CityTshwane @TMPDSafety #Mamelodi pic.twitter.com/H9Pb6ffLdW
— Pretoria News (@pretorianews) July 13, 2021
With Tshwane's Executive Mayor Randall Williams noting that reports had indicated that both Denlyn and Mamelodi mall were the main targets for criminals to loot shops.
Williams said despite these threats it was encouraging that many parts of the city were generally calm with no major incidents, disruptions and criminality reported.
He did add however say that the city's law enforcement agencies would remain on high alert.
Williams said not only had the city deployed members across the city particularly to maintain visibility in volatile areas, but they had also been proactive in dealing with the threats by moving to secure critical infrastructure.
"Our law enforcement agencies will continue to monitor Soshanguve, Ga-Rankuwa, Atteridgeville, and several parts in the Pretoria CBD."
"We are receiving continuous updates on the security situation across the city as our Tshwane Metro Police Department teams continue to work closely with the police."
Pretoria News