Foreigners flee Soweto after residents loot their shops

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Johannesburg - Many foreign-owned shops in Soweto were empty shells of themselves on Thursday morning after residents ransacked, trashed and looted them on Wednesday night. The looting occurred in different parts of Soweto such as Moroka, Dlamini, Protea Glen, Dobsonville, Rockville and Zola. It is not yet known what led to the looting of the shops but police said they were still investigating. Police spokesperson Colonel Kay Makhubele said they got information on Wednesday night that foreign owned shops were being looted.



They claim these foreigners sell counterfeit goods and expired food then they steal what they complain about #Sowetolooting pic.twitter.com/DeaSFbhHvj — MICHU (@MichuEmenalo) August 15, 2019

"We rushed there and assisted the shop owners to move their stuff. They packed them in their trucks and vans and we escorted them out of the area.

"We took them to various police stations and they stated that the would be going to Fordbsurg," he said.

Ask yourself why all this #Sowetolooting happens in the middle of the month. Free electricity free food and soon free Putco bus rides Soweto people for you 🚮 pic.twitter.com/FJEt1Yqd0Z — Your Ex (@QezuTshepo) August 15, 2019

While the looting of foreign-owned ships is something that has happened many times in Soweto, Makhubele said he did not know why the foreigners were seen as easy targets and that it was only the community that could answer that.

I'm reading tweets of Tweeps trying to make sense of the #Sowetolooting but it's simple, an unemployed, illiterate probable drug addict, living in poverty and has several kids, do you really expect them to act ethically or logically pic.twitter.com/MDk0HTzBGH — MICHU (@MichuEmenalo) August 15, 2019

No injuries have been reported and Makhubele said the situation was calm.

He appealed to the community never to take the law into their hands as that turns them into criminals.

No one has been arrested yet.

The Star