Pretoria - As the protests and looting shifted to Gauteng and parts of Tshwane, the Tshwane Metro Police Department (TMPD) said they were on high alert to monitor any development of brazen lawlessness and looting across all regions of the City.
TMPD members were deployed to ensure high visibility, particularly in volatile areas such as the Pretoria CBD and Mamelodi, as the City welcomed the announcement that the South African National Defence Force (SANDF) was deployed in Gauteng to assist law enforcement agencies.
City spokesperson Sipho Stuurman said the TMPD teams were working with the SAPS to bolster efforts to contain the lawlessness which flared-up.
She said the TMPD will operate within the national joint operational plan which will guide the deployment and operations.
Areas of concern in the City included major highways in and around Mamelodi, Hammanskraal and several parts of the CBD.
Major routes into the City, from Mabopane, Soshanguve and GaRankuwa have been affected.
Residents were warned to avoid these routes as well as shopping centres around these areas.
A number of malls and shops closed their doors in the most volatile areas in fear of looters.
The City called on business owners to refrain from taking the law into their own hands by engaging in an armed confrontation with these criminals and to rather leave it to the law enforcement agencies.
Private security companies were also asked to work with the SAPS.
Social security beneficiaries were meanwhile also suffering as a result of the unrest and protests, as these offices closed their doors.
This is after the cash-in-transit industry informed Sassa that they will not be providing any cash delivery services to the cash pay points until further notice.
This is to ensure the safety of the Sassa beneficiaries as well as theirs.
Beneficiaries were urged to remain calm and await communication as to when the payment at pay points will resume.
Sassa beneficiaries are reminded that their cards can be used to purchase goods or receive cash from merchants or bank ATMs. However, beneficiaries are urged to ensure that it is safe for them to frequent any of these alternative facilities.
Sassa requested beneficiaries not to panic and stay safe until further notice.
“We have to protect our beneficiaries as they might be caught up in the crossfire especially those in high risk areas. Payments will be made as soon as the situation is calm and it is safe,” its CEO Totsie Memela said.
Memela added that Sassa has to be careful as they have noticed increased numbers of heists against the post office and cash-in-transit vehicles in the past months.
Sassa started with their monthly payments last week for older persons, followed by disability grants on July 7. From Thursday (July 8) all other grants payments were made.
Pretoria News