WRAP | #UnrestSA: Police accused of confiscating items that were legally bought

INFOGRAPHIC | Counting the loss of the looting and riots

As businesses in KwaZulu-Natal, Gauteng and around the country count the cost of last week's unrest, it is clear that the only certainty that arises from the bedlam is that the damage wrought to businesses, jobs and the economy will be felt for years to come.

Fin24 breaks down the figures.

PODCAST | The Story: Why did SA's security agencies fail to avert the looting chaos?

This week on The Story, we speak to News24 assistant editor for in-depth news, Pieter du Toit, and News24 parliamentary reporter Jason Felix, about what went wrong and what needs to happen to protect the lives and property of South Africans in the future.

IN OPINION | My beloved ANC, what have you done?

The looting and chaos that brought parts of the country to a standstill last week are the inevitable result of the ANC’s disintegration into a corrupt kakistocracy, writes Aslam Dasoo.

‘They saw items on the kitchen table and just took them’

Police have been accused of confiscating items that were legally bought, during their raids to recover looted goods in Sebokeng.

Despite producing proof of purchase, Madupi Motholo was left with dashed dreams after his chainsaws were confiscated.

The 40-year-old said he looked on in disbelief as the security forces took away his equipment, which he used for a wood cutting business he started three months ago after losing his job in December.

Looters caught on camera might lose their jobs

An employee who was caught on camera looting or stealing is walking on thin ice – and they can be fired.

Legal experts at Johannesburg-based law firm Cliffe Dekker Hofmeyr said there was footage of hordes of people involved in the widespread theft and vandalism that happened at shopping malls, warehouses and factories in Gauteng and KwaZulu-Natal last week.

Mondli Makhanya | Another inferno in the making

Let us by all means get to the bottom of what happened in Phoenix, but those who lead this country should not allow that tragedy to be the flammable liquid that will ignite an even bigger inferno, writes Mondli Makhanya.

Insurrection: ANC cracks whip

The ANC’s parliamentary caucus is cracking down on ministers in the security cluster over their failure to detect the build-up to the massive looting and destruction that claimed nearly 340 lives and cost the economy tens of billions rands last week.

Fake news: Police slam social media post claiming shooting of Phoenix man was linked to KZN unrest

A flurry of social media posts claiming the fatal shooting of an Indian man was linked to the recent multiple murders in Phoenix, KwaZulu-Natal, is fake news, say police.

In a statement on Saturday, police spokesperson Colonel Brenda Muridili said there had neither been a shooting incident of this nature, nor had there been a shooting that occurred recently in the vicinity quoted by the said social media posts."

In relation to the Phoenix murders, police can confirm that eight suspects have thus far been arrested.

One suspect has already appeared in court and his case remanded to 16 August 2021, while the other seven suspects are expected to appear before court on Monday, 26 July 2021," Muridili added.

Financial loss due to unrest could be far worse - KZN government [FOR SUBCRIBERS] 

The KwaZulu-Natal provincial government has said it expects the financial loss due to the unrest to be much higher.

Premier Sihle Zikalala has revealed that preliminary assessments indicate the 150 000 jobs were at risk.

Zikalala was briefing the media on how the province intends to rebuild the economy.

“As government continues to visit the scenes of devastation, it is now evident that it will take time for the province to recover.

Financial loss due to unrest could be far worse - KZN government [FOR SUBCRIBERS] 

The KwaZulu-Natal provincial government has said it expects the financial loss due to the unrest to be much higher.

Premier Sihle Zikalala has revealed that preliminary assessments indicate the 150 000 jobs were at risk.

Zikalala was briefing the media on how the province intends to rebuild the economy.

“As government continues to visit the scenes of devastation, it is now evident that it will take time for the province to recover.

PODCAST | The Story: Why did SA's security agencies fail to avert the looting chaos?

South Africa's governmental security agencies have come under the spotlight since the chaos that ensued after the arrest and incarceration of former president Jacob Zuma on 8 July.

President Cyril Ramaphosa has confirmed that the violence and looting was planned. So why did police, military, and intelligence agencies fail to avert the rampage?

There are no new updates on the "key-players and instigators", says Ntshavheni.

So far there is no determination if IPID is necessary, Ntshavheni says.

Ntshavheni says 5 more people were arrested bringing the total number of arrests to 20 for murder.

Acting Minister in the Presidency, Khumbudzo Ntshavheni starts her daily briefing saying the number of deaths in Gauteng remains the same as yesterday.

The death rate in KwaZulu-Natal has been revised from 258 to 251 as the other deaths weren't related to the unrest, she says.

Not all bodies in Phoenix mortuary linked to unrest – Health MEC

KwaZulu-Natal Health MEC Nomagugu Simelane says the number of bodies at the Phoenix mortuary is not be directly linked to the unrest in parts of the province last week.

While she didn't say outright that the facility was full, she said it had more than 300 bodies before the unrest.

"As of last week, we had 350 bodies that were already there that had nothing to do with Phoenix. People did die in Phoenix and it is a point that we cannot run away from."

Alleged instigator Sibusiso Mavuso back in court

Sibusiso Mavuso vehemently shook his head in the dock of the Westonaria Magistrate's Court as his case for allegedly inciting public violence during the civil unrest was again postponed. 

Mavuso made a brief second appearance in court on Friday.

He is charged with inciting public violence during the wave of civil unrest, which swept through KwaZulu-Natal and Gauteng last week. 

 47 500 vaccines lost in recent SA unrest, says health department

Around 47 500 Covid-19 vaccines were lost during unrest that ripped through KwaZulu-Natal and Gauteng.

In a digital briefing on Friday, Acting Health Minister Mmamoloko Kubayi said 120 private pharmacies were damaged in the violence.

UnrestSA: Poor government leadership contributed to mass looting - SAHRC hears

The recent mayhem that left many dead and malls and shops looted, causing potential job losses, should be blamed on the lack of leadership in the country.

Nelson Mandela Foundation CEO Sello Hatang addressed a dialogue launched by the South African Human Rights Commission (SAHRC) following the unrest in parts of KwaZulu-Natal and Gauteng.

Looters urged to test for Covid-19

Acting Health Minister Mmamoloko Kubayi has urged those who participated in looting sprees last week, to get tested for Covid-19.

Kubayi said a report from Correctional Services indicated that quite a number of those arrested have tested positive for coronavirus.

Could the unrest have been avoided if a 2018 SSA report had been implemented? We speak to Jane Duncan

South Africa's poor intelligence services have been blamed for the country's seemingly slow response to what President Cyril Ramaphosa described as a "failed insurrection" in parts of KwaZulu-Natal and Gauteng last week.

Families tell of stress resulting from backlog at a KwaZulu-Natal mortuary

A government mortuary in Phoenix, KwaZulu-Natal, was thrust into the spotlight after claims that it had reached capacity.

News24 was told of the delays which families encountered and the stress they experienced in waiting for bodies to be released.

Kgosientsho Ramokgopa | The destruction of infrastructure is an attack on investment plan

It is difficult to move forward with the country’s Infrastructure Build Programme when we leak billions of rands due to violent protests that destroy infrastructure, writes Kgosientsho Ramokgopa.

FRIDAY BRIEFING | Looted: Can our country's fragile economy weather the storm?

Even before the Covid-19 pandemic hit, the economy was already limping along. Then came lockdowns, another round of Eskom power cuts and a slow vaccine rollout. Things did seem to be looking up though with data indicating an acceleration in gross domestic product in the second quarter. 

Lumkile Mondi | Failing state capacity: Time for investors to look beyond government?

Last week's unrest showed that it was non-governmental actors who held the power rather than government to stop the insurrection. Lumkile Mondi writes that business must look beyond the state and focus on non-state actors as partners and embed itself in communities where it conducts it operates. 

Jean Redpath | Inadequate and violent policing in KwaZulu-Natal: What's behind it?

KwaZulu-Natal has long suffered from inadequate, corrupt and violent policing. Recent events have simply made it more obvious. The problem of policing in the province dates from before the transition to democracy. Policing is a national function - in South Africa is in crisis and in KwaZulu-Natal the crisis is magnified, writes Jean Redpath.

Msunduzi says it might not be able to assist businesses affected in the unrest

Msunduzi Municipality has warned that it might not be able to assist businesses that were affected in the recent unrest.

Due to its finances being in a “precarious” state, the municipality will look to the KwaZulu-Natal government and possibly national government for any relief for affected businesses.

Mshengu calls for justice ‘for all people who were killed for no reason’

There can be no peace without justice.

Those were the words of ANC provincial executive committee member and Education MEC, Kwazi Mshengu, with regards to the conflict in Phoenix.

Boxer rewards residents for their bravery

During last week’s unrest, over 100 community members guarded the industrial precinct of Lynnfield Park near Pietermaritzburg, from being looted.

The precinct is home to the Boxer KZN distribution centre’s offices and warehouses.

Looting won’t see polony and viennas run out, but you may need to switch brands – and pay more

South Africa is not likely to run short of polony and viennas as such, but in coming weeks and months favourite brands may not be available, and prices could spike.

EXCLUSIVE | No money, no idea: SAPS intelligence failed to warn of ‘insurrection’ because of budget crisis

The police's Crime Intelligence (CI) division faces a cash crunch and could not conduct covert operations in the run-up to the wave of unrest, which left 337 people dead and saw rampant looting and vandalism, with losses estimated at more than R50 billion. 

#UnrestSA: Health department warns about illegal selling of infant formula as shortages loom in KZN, Gauteng

The violent unrest that broke out in KwaZulu-Natal and Gauteng last week has resulted in a dire shortage of infant formula and other essential food supplies.

The national Department of Health said it was aware about concerns over the shortages, adding it was illegal to sell infant formula on social media platforms.

Distell suffered R100m in damage to KZN depot, thanks 'taxi partners' for protection

Despite repeated bans on alcohol sales, Distell is expecting strong profit growth for the year to end-June. The company also confirmed that one of its distribution centres suffered R100 million in damage during recent unrest in KwaZulu-Natal.

What the police, army found during raid to recover looted goods in Sebokeng

A cell tower battery, livestock, building materials, solar panels, shopping trolleys, basic grocery items and clothes were just some of the items recovered inside Boiketlong informal settlement in Sebokeng on Thursday.

SANDF members, police officers and private security personnel were on a joint mission in the area to recover items looted during last week's unrest, which saw malls and warehouses targeted for looting and destruction.

Here's how you can report looted goods to Cash Crusaders, as retailer joins recovery bid

Cash Crusaders is asking people to report goods that were stolen during the recent KwaZulu-Natal/Gauteng unrest on its website, as it joins the fight to combat the reselling of looted merchandise.

The second-hand reseller and new goods retailer said customers wishing to resell goods may be asked to produce original sales receipt documents proving ownership of the goods.

PICS | Clean start: Ex-offenders, parolees and probationers clean up KZN after unrest

Those who were "once on the wrong side of the law" took to the streets of Pietermaritzburg on Thursday to clean up the mess following the recent unrest in KwaZulu-Natal.

Deputy Justice and Correctional Services Minister Nkosi Phathekile Holomisa led ex-offenders, parolees and probationers in a clean-up campaign after the violence and looting in the City of Msunduzi.

'Shock', 'sadness' as unrest claims the lives of 3 DUT first-year students

Three first-year students from Durban University of Technology (DUT) died last week during the violent unrest, according to the institution.

Andile Dlamini and Mpilwenhle Khethokuhle Mchunu were killed during the unrest. 

DUT said the third student, an 18-year-old female, died after hearing her partner was killed during the unrest, spokesperson Alan Khan said.