Kabelo Tlhabanelo
The cops arrived on the scene to chase away the looters at the bottle store – but the determined thieves chased them away with ease.
Cries of “we are not afraid of you!” rang through the street as cops made a hasty retreat.
When more cops arrived with reinforcements they were again beaten back, as the looters pelted them with stones.
Only when they came the third time with extensive back up did the looters relinquish their booze bonanza.
It was a long day for the cops and an unfortunate one for the residents who were arrested during the Mangaung Shutdown on Tuesday.
The protesters were demanding better service delivery, business and job opportunities and an end to employing people from outside Bloemfontein and the Free State.
But this became the backdrop to the battle of the Tsie Bottle Store in Cook Avenue, Batho, which took centre stage when the cops overcame the looters at the third attempt.
Owner Amelia Mokheseng said she watched helplessly as her stock of R200,000 worth of alcohol was snatched.
“This has nothing to do with the shutdown. My bottle store was not selling any alcohol and was closed when they broke the doors,” said Amelia.
Amelia was shocked to see regular customers join in with the looting.
“We kept on screaming their names but they were focused on running in and out and getting as much booze as possible,” she said.
Many fled holding 24 quarts of Heineken beers in their arms.
“Look how they fall. I wish they would step on the broken bottles,” said a family member of Amelia’s.
The cops finally chased them away using stun grenades and rubber bullets. Police nyala and water tanks were used to keep looters at bay while the remaining alcohol was being loaded into a truck to be taken to a safe place.
Scrolla.Africa witnessed police managing to catch some looters red-handed inside the bottle store.
One of the arrested suspects was heard saying: “It wasn’t me. I was trying to stop the stealing.”
Police spokesman Brigadier Motantsi Makhele said that, by Tuesday night, 42 people had been arrested for public violence.
