Western Cape Premier, Alan Winde has indicated that the province is prepared to act in the event of any looting incidents. This comes after violent and destructive behaviour has wreaked havoc in parts of KwaZulu-Natal and Gauteng.
The Premier held a special Cabinet meeting with the provincial police commissioner, General Patekile, SAPS officials as well as City of Cape Town representatives on Tuesday, July 13.
According to Winde, a full deployment of SAPS will be sent to hotspot areas to address any violence, should it arise. “We have not had any incident of looting as of yet with calm across the province, and full deployment of SAPS in hotspot areas to address any violence should it arise,” he said.
Winde added that he will remain in close contact with Gen. Patekile and the Joint Operations Centre in the province to ensure the safety of every resident.
“I reiterate my call for residents to remain calm, to reject violence and looting, and to respect the law.”
Meanwhile, several videos are doing the rounds on social media showing alleged looting action in Town Centre, Mitchells Plain. However, this information is not true as residents are urged not to read fake news.
The Makro store in Montague Gardens also closed its doors as a precautionary measure amid looting protests around the country.
More to follow.
Picture: Cape {town} etc gallery