Thank you, Gauteng.
This is how Gauteng Premier David Makhura and political parties extended their gratitude to local residents, business organisations, taxi associations and other civil society formations which assisted to quell violent protests in the province.
These violent protests broke out last week when looters attacked various malls, car dealerships and bombed ATMs situated at various malls across the province. While the provincial government and insurance companies were still assessing the damages - which are estimated to run into billions of rand - Makhura was quick to praise these organisations for containing the violence.
Yesterday, he issued a “Thank you” message to all those that assisted law enforcement agencies in ensuring the arrest of almost 220 suspects who are now due to appear in various magistrate’s courts in Gauteng this week for bail applications, after being charged with counts of robbery with aggravating circumstances, theft and attempted murder of police officers.
Gauteng MEC for Roads and Transport Jacob Mamabolo also visited various taxi associations in Joburg and Pretoria, and thanked them for their role in the fight against violent protests.
Mamabolo’s department was also hard hit by these criminals, who stormed one the driver licence testing centres in Kliptown last week, stealing computers and equipment used for learner and driving tests.
Some of the people who were due to sit for their tests this week and last week had to be moved to neighbouring testing centres which were not affected.
The DA in Gauteng also thanked the taxi associations for quelling the carnage.
Gauteng DA’s chief whip Mike Moriarty also contacted these associations and conveyed his party’s gratitude to them.
“We discussed the actions of various member organisations who involved themselves in protecting malls from attacks and looting.
“I congratulated these leaders and their members. We discussed the importance of all peace-loving South Africans to stand together to protect our communities and businesses from violence and looting.
“We also hold the view that the law enforcement agencies need to do more to protect lives, property and the economy,” Moriarty said.
He said looters may think they were enriching themselves and that they may feed themselves for a fortnight, but when more jobs are lost and businesses close, nobody wins. Not even the looters.
“The Democratic Alliance in Gauteng calls upon SAPS to urgently bring the instigators and perpetrators to book. They have the capacity, and must use their resources more effectively.
“Further, it would be to the benefit of South Africans that SAPS engage and partner with the growing swell of civic-minded people and organisations who are taking a stand,” Moriarty said.
Meanwhile, the African Christian Democratic Party (ACDP) in the Gauteng Legislature has appealed to the government to establish a fund to assist informal traders, small business owners and private medical practices that have been irreparably impacted by the looting of their businesses and the destruction of their property, owned or rented, this past week.
ACDP leader Dulton Adams said as much as the provincial government has intentions to address the triple threat of poverty, inequality and unemployment, a concerted and definitive effort must be made to accelerate a programme which would allow these informal traders, small business owners and private medical practices to submit applications, demonstrating their losses and damages, and apply for funding.
Sunday Independent