Looting in Turffontein during violence directed at foreign nationals that broke out in Johannesburg. Photo Thulani Mbele. 02/09/2019

South Africa: Today’s latest news and headlines, Wednesday 14 July 2021

In the latest news in South Africa on Wednesday 14 July 2021, the army is finally beginning to trickle into riot hot spots in KZN and Gauteng.

by Adrian Ephraim

14-07-2021 06:00

in News

Looting in Turffontein during violence directed at foreign nationals that broke out in Johannesburg. Photo Thulani Mbele. 02/09/2019

We’ve got the latest news happening in South Africa on Wednesday 14 July. Here are the stories that have dominated headlines throughout the country.

Tuesday 13 July, was a tense day for all South Africans as incidents of looting continued across KwaZulu-Natal and Gauteng. The SANDF has slowly started to arrive in affected areas, but not quick enough to stop many malls and businesses from being ravaged by hordes of looters overnight. Many arrests have been made, and as many as 45 people have lost their lives in just a few days of unrest.

What today brings, we will have to wait and see. You can stay up to date with the latest breaking news right here.

TODAY’S LATEST NEWS IN SOUTH AFRICA, Wednesday 14 July

‘Peace returns when Msholozi is released’ – Zuma camp makes firm threat

The Jacob Zuma Foundation became the latest Twitter account to stoke the fires of incitement, after they made it perfectly clear that they are willing to tolerate countrywide violence until Msholozi is released from prison.

In a tweet posted on Tuesday afternoon, the Foundation said that peace and stability would only return to South African ‘if the release of Jacob Zuma is secured immediately’. However, the battle lines of these riots have shifted, with many looters openly admitting that they are ransacking stores for their own personal reasons.

The organisation which bears Zuma’s name – and has issued a host of statements on his behalf recently – still believes there is a ‘direct link’ between his incarceration and the wave of mayhem that has gripped parts of KZN and Gauteng.

“Peace and stability in South Africa are directly linked to the release of President Zuma with immediate effect. It was just pure malice to incarcerate him whilst litigation on his detention without trial case (for civil contempt) was ongoing.”

PICTURES: Public begin panic buying as riots threaten food security

With President Cyril Ramaphosa warning that riots in KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) and Gauteng will soon threaten food and healthcare supply chains, members of the public have begun panic buying at retailers tat remain open on Tuesday.

Images are surfacing online of store shelves being emptied out by concerned residents, who fear that the continued road blockages and torching of trucks by looters.

During his second consecutive address to the nation on Monday 12 July, Ramaphosa warned that the sustained disruption to supply chains that ensure the delivery of essential food and medical products is quickly going to lead to dire shortages.

“[The violent riots] started with the burning of trucks at Mooi River on Saturday, and was followed by the blockading of roads and looting of shops in the north of KZN,” he said. “Our sick cannot get help from pharmacies, food doesn’t reach shelves, and health workers cannot get to work. We are facing food and medication insecurity within a matter of weeks.”

Single mother left devastated as her vegetable stall, was looted and set alight

A vegetable stall on the streets of Daveyton ensured that a single mother of three could financially provide for her family daily.

But it all was destroyed when looters stole everything in the stall before they set it alight on Sunday evening.

Ellen Mlangu (21) said her single mom, Marth (53) had the vegetable stall for the past 25 years.

“We have lost everything. We don’t know how we will survive,” an emotional Mlangu said.

She said her mother was still inconsolable on Tuesday.

“We recently lost my dad after a sickbed, and now this.”

Mlangu said her family, mother, and two siblings aged 17 and 12, depended on the income.

Watch: Safety alert issued as huge boulder falls down Table Mountain

With everything else going to hell in a handbasket this week, it’s perhaps only logical that, if Table Mountain was to fall apart, now would be the best time for it to happen. Several local residents were able to film the moment that a significant rockfall took place at the iconic venue, as a boulder rolled down the instantly recognisable cliff-face.

The incident, believed to have occurred near the Silverstream area of the landmark, took place on Tuesday morning. A huge puff of dust was created by the alleged rockfall, and the official Table Mountain Watch issued the following warning:

“Safety Alert: You may want to be careful in the Silverstream area on TM at the moment. This is due to slope instability. Videos of the incident have been doing the rounds this morning.”

Comair extends suspension of Kulula and BA flights: What you need to know

Comair, on Tuesday, announced that it has extended the suspension of scheduled Kulula.com and British Airways (operated by Comair) flights until the end of August. This came following President Cyril Ramaphosa’s announcement that SA will remain on an adjusted Level 4 lockdown for the next two weeks.

“The prohibition of all non-essential travel in and out of Gauteng, very little to no demand for business travel and international travel bans resulted in Comair temporarily suspending all scheduled flights from Monday, 5 July 2021,” it said.

The intention was to recommence operations from 30 July 2021, however, given the uncertainty of the expected length of the recently adjusted level 4 lockdown, restriction of travel in and out of Gauteng coupled with the rampant transmissibility of the COVID-19 “Delta” variant, it had to make a difficult decision to further suspend flight operations until 31 August 2021.