The recent turmoil of damage to property and looting in the Zamdela Sasolburg strike proposed a new controversial opportunity for unmarried couples in the community. Jewellery worth thousands of rand has been looted from the Sterns and American Swiss stores in Sasolburg town!
The strike ignited after the Free State provincial government in South Africa proposed that Sasolburg local municipality, Metsimaholo, merge with Ngwathe municipality which runs services in Parys, a small town near Sasolburg.
Many grocery, liquor, furniture stores, and tuckshops are running dry for a fourth consecutive day since the start of the protests on Sunday, 20 January 2013. Bigger stores that were looted include, amongst other, Pick n Pay, Fish & Chips, Zio wholesalers, Shoprite, and Edgars. There is no electricity since Metsimaholo offices were set alight including local shops that sell prepaid electricity in the township.
“The only thing that people need to do now is to send out wedding invites to friends, colleagues and families living far to witness and celebrate with their siblings,” says Tshepo Masemola, a resident in Zamdela.
Schools have come to a halt following the clash with local residents and the police for safety reasons. “We do not know when they will let us know when to resume classes as the situation is still tense,” says Sidney Maepa, a matriculant at Nkgopoleng Secondary School.
Local taxis from the township to the local town do not operate due to the crisis. Those who afford to hire private transport from car owners in the community hire drivers to take them to the nearest shopping malls such as Vanderbijlpark and Vereeniging to buy prepaid electricity and groceries.
It is not known as to when things will go back to normal as negotiations and investigations are still underway. In the meantime it’s wedding bells, wedding bells!
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