Johannesburg - Gauteng Premier David Makhura has admitted the looting and violence in the province was out of control and police resources were severely overstretched.
Makhura has also confirmed 19 people had died in the province since the looting began in the province on Sunday.
Over 400 people have been arrested for various looting and riot-related incidences around the province.
He said of the 19 people who had been killed in the province, 10 died during a stampede in Soweto at Meadowlands mall on Monday.
“As we speak now the looting is continuing, I can’t say that the situation is under control as long as there is looting.
“Where looting has not started is where we have managed to get community leaders in those communities for people to stand up and say that looting cannot take place,” Makhura said.
Makhura appealed to community leaders to work with law enforcement authorities to ensure the areas not been affected dido not get affected. He asked the people of the province to calm down and not justify the looting.
“We must make sure that the looting stops because it is undermining every little effort that we have been making in rebuilding the local economies, that effort is undermined the looting is not only in the big shops, there’s looting in the spaza shops there is looting in the schools, some of our schools have been vandalised, there is no political justice for this,” said Makhura.
The Star