Statement by ANC Gauteng on Looting in Soweto and Other Areas

The ANC in Gauteng strongly condemns looting of shops owned by South Africans and foreign nationals in parts of Soweto and other areas.

We commend the many locals who have actively assisted affected shop owners from suffering more losses of their goods. Many of the shops looted are owned by South Africans and rented out mainly to foreign nationals who have co-existed peacefully in the communities where they trade.

We call on government, community leaders, ANC branches and society at large to assist the police in maintaining order. We should not allow criminal elements to destabilize our communities and stop legitimate businesspeople, including foreign nationals, from conducting their business.

We urge the police to act without fear or favour in tackling all criminal elements involved. We call on them to investigate and arrest those who possess illegal firearms and fake identity documents. We commend the decisive leadership of the South African Police Services thus far in making arrests of those attempting to destabilize our communities.

Statement issued by ANC Gauteng head of communication Nkenke Kekana, January 23 2015

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