Pretoria - Ordinary citizens, taxi associations, hawkers, Churches and community leaders have all rallied behind the stern message that no looting and vandalism would be allowed to take place in the City of Tshwane.
What started out as a handful of community members coming to the aid of local businesses has gained even more traction in Tshwane, with local taxi associations and civil rights groups adding their support to guarding the City against the unrest spreading through parts of KwaZulu-Natal and Johannesburg as a result of the protests.
The South African National Taxi Council (Santaco), along with the Taxi Operations Peace Initiative Conglomerated Association (Topica) and the National Taxi Association (NTA) have added the industry's muscle by instructing all associations in the region to go out to protect all malls and shopping centres in the City.
Abner Tsebe, the Tshwane Chairman of Santaco, said the taxi industry in Tshwane had already taken this position in anticipation of the scenes of violence, looting and vandalism taking place in Johannesburg and spiralling to Tshwane.
"The leadership of the industry strongly warns those with intentions to loot to desist from any attempts as they will find the industry waiting because this vandalism will not only destroy jobs but will consequently affect taxi industry business."
Frans Ramodikwe the President of the Hawkers Associations said their members had pledged to protect the Central City shopping centre in Mabopane, north of Tshwane in every way possible after being alerted to information that some criminal elements had been eyeing the business area and even tried to loot shops on Monday.
Ramodikwe said the informal hawkers had taken this stance as the acts of vandalism would ultimately end up threatening their own honest way of making a living.
"We are going to deploy some of our members alongside those of taxi associations to protect Central City and all neighbouring businesses."
"We warn members of society to refrain from this looting anarchy because they are going to be met by the full might of the law."
The regional South African Council of Churches (SACC) also added their voice to the call for calm and order to be restored to the country, stating that the latest developments surrounding the #FreeJacobZuma campaign had merely turned into looting and damage to property.
"It is of great concern to realise that the aftermath of these actions will affect the very citizens of the country who are currently suffering. More jobs will be lost as businesses will be embarking on rebuilding, some of which may not recover causing even more hardship," he said
Tshwane Executive Mayor Randall Williams extended his gratitude to the City's residents for uniting against the criminality and looting.
"I am very proud to note that many of our residents, community policing forums, local taxi associations, community and residential groups have come together to prevent lawlessness in the capital city.
"Our residents are proving that they are law-abiding citizens who take pride and care for their communities. Many of the community groups organised themselves working with our law enforcement teams to protect local shopping centres."
Williams said to date Tshwane had experienced minimal incidents of criminality, with just over 100 people having been arrested by the city's Tshwane Metro Police Department and police teams.
The teams were currently maintaining high visibility in hot spot areas and monitoring shopping centres around Tshwane.
"We agree with the view by the taxi industry that the destruction of infrastructure would have a far lasting economic impact, however, it is important that as communities we work together with law enforcement and not take the law into our own hands."
Pretoria News