JULY UNREST: A YEAR LATER VOSLOORUS RESIDENTS RECOUNT LOSSES CAUSED BY LOOTING
JULY UNREST: A YEAR LATER VOSLOORUS RESIDENTS RECOUNT LOSSES CAUSED BY LOOTING
The looting followed the arrest of former president Jacob Zuma for contempt of court.
JOHANNESBURG – It’s been a year since the deadly 2021 July unrest and residents in Vosloorus have recounted the losses caused by the rampant looting and many have called it a setback in township progression.
Mobs took to malls and shopping complexes in Vosloorus following incidents the week before in KwaZulu-Natal.
The looting followed the arrest of former president Jacob Zuma for contempt of court.
But a year later, many in the township still live in fear that what erupted in July last year could happen again.
Eyewitness News retraces the steps of what happened exactly a year ago in Vosloorus – which was one of the areas first hit by the riots.
Eyewitness News reporter, Kgomotso Modise was at Chris Hani Mall in Vosloorus about three kilometres from the Naledi Mall where it all began.
The Chris Hani mall was the next target for the moving mob as it has a wider range of stores including clothing stores restaurants and automated teller machines.
Like many shopping complexes, the building was not spared, and it was even set alight.
This was also the mall where three dead bodies were found.
A man recalls how the Hlahatsi Shopping Centre in Katlehong was the only one spared.
“The Hlahatsi mall was alright. They didn’t want us Vosloorus residents on that side, to enter Hlahatsi shopping mall you had to produce your water bill. If you were from Spruit you couldn’t shop there, so when we needed something we had to travel far to shop.”
The Chris Hani Mall is still picking up the pieces a year later with the ABSA automated teller machines only replaced about two months ago.
