BLOEMFONTEIN – About 142 suspected looters arrested in connection with a violence and looting spree relating to the Mangaung Metropolitan Municipality (MMM) shutdown over service delivery, face multiple charges. They are expected to appear in the Bloemfontein Magistrates’ Court tomorrow, Wednesday 27 May.
Lt Col Thabo Covane, provincial spokesperson for the Free State police, said charges registered include public violence, business burglary, business robbery, possession of suspected stolen goods, and malicious damage to property.
The Free State Public Order Policing (POP) unit made the arrests in townships in Bloemfontein on Monday, in an attempt to restore law and order. This followed brazen looting and incidents of public violence triggered by the National Service Delivery Forum (NSDF) shutdown over service delivery challenges. The suspects arrested include 109 men and 33 women.
“The police are currently processing the arrested individuals. The criminal activities were triggered by voice recordings and digital posters circulating on social media platforms, which called for a ‘total shutdown.’ Opportunistic groups utilised these digital messages to target local businesses and tuck shops,” said Covane.
Covane said the looting began on Sunday at about 19:00 in the Bloemspruit area, Phase 6, where a crowd stormed a local grocery store.
“Quick-thinking community members stepped in to rescue the store manager until POP units arrived on the scene. An aggressive crowd of approximately 80 individuals began throwing stones at police vehicles. Simultaneously, proactive measures by tuck shop owners in Pieter Swarts prevented further losses as they safely removed stock from their tuck shops following break-in attempts,” he said.
He said at about 23:45 on Sunday, POP officers arrested 10 suspects red-handed inside a tuck shop in Mahlomola Street, Bochabela, allegedly stealing grocery items. The looting, which continued on Monday, saw police disperse crowds at different locations around tuck shops.
“A crowd of roughly 100 people that had gathered on Moshoeshoe Street at about 04:00 was dispersed,” said Covane. Police efforts to prevent looting and the dispersal of crowds continued in areas including Bergman Square and Freedom Square.
