A hive of activity outside Shoprite Liquor in Athlone, Cape Town. Photo: Screenshot / Twitter
Watch: More lockdown looting in Cape Town [video]
Liquor stores remain under seige during the lockdown, as looting continues to rage on.
A hive of activity outside Shoprite Liquor in Athlone, Cape Town. Photo: Screenshot / Twitter
The spate of looting around the country continues to rage on, with liquor stores targetted by criminals.
Cape Town reported 17 incidents of burglary and looting since the lockdown came into effect, and that number has increased over the past 24 hours.
This is after four more shops in the region fell victim to marauders, with Athlone, Tafelsig, Gatesville and Heideveld all reporting incidents.
Watch Cape Town liquor shops looted in videos below:
#Lockdown Athole Cape Town. pic.twitter.com/x9RHnjdOn0
— Yusuf Abramjee (@Abramjee) April 14, 2020
#Lockdown Gatesville Cape Town pic.twitter.com/fsubY236yI
— Yusuf Abramjee (@Abramjee) April 14, 2020
#Lockdown Heideveld Cape Town pic.twitter.com/jsCosme4bt
— Yusuf Abramjee (@Abramjee) April 14, 2020
#Lockdown Tafelsig Cape Town. pic.twitter.com/sZicL3Ctd0
— Yusuf Abramjee (@Abramjee) April 14, 2020
Lockdown lawlessness condemned
Liquor stores have born the brunt of the criminal activity that has raged on since the end of March.
The shops have been closed for the duration of the lockdown as part of the social distancing regulations put in place, one of them being a total ban on alcohol sales.
This has not stopped the less law-abiding members of the public for displaying a thirst for crime, putting themselves not only in risk of facing criminal charges, but also transmitting or contracting the novel coronavirus.
The spate of lootings come just as the SAPS has reported a sharp decrease in most crime.
Police Minister Bheki Cele condemned the lawlessness over the weekend, encouraging communities to come forward with information that could lead to the arrest of perpetrators.
“The general crime picture since the COVID-19 lockdown continues to reflect a decrease and such incidents must therefore be intercepted and the perpetrators arrested,” he said.
“Our law-abiding citizens must continue to work with law enforcement against criminals as we together ensure the survival of the human race against the COVID-19.”
Bheki Cele
Other Cape Town suburbs to have reported similar incidents include Langa and Elsies River.
