The government has announced that heavily guarded convoys would deliver food, fuel and other supplies into KwaZulu-Natal, after days of looting and violence shattered supply chains.
Meanwhile, President Cyril Ramaphosa admitted on television last night that ‘we were poorly prepared for an orchestrated campaign of public violence, destruction and sabotage of this nature’ and that ‘we must admit that we did not have the capabilities and plans in place to respond swiftly and decisively’.
He described the violence which swept parts of KZN and Gauteng as a deliberate and co-ordinated attack on South Africa’s democracy.
‘Using the pretext of a political grievance, those behind these acts have sought to provoke a popular insurrection,’ he said.
As the country continued to pick up the pieces after days of violence and looting, news reports yesterday told of motorists and shoppers queuing for up to eight hours for petrol and essential supplies.
Acting Minister in the Presidency Khumbudzo Ntshavheni said that the South African National Defence Force would secure the vital N2 and N3 arteries, and truck convoys would be provided with police escorts.
KwaZulu-Natal, the epicentre of the chaos, is home to major industrial complexes – many housing distribution centres for food retailers – which were targeted by looters and vandals.
Thami Sithole, president of the Zululand Chamber of Business which encompasses Empangeni and Richards Bay, described the aftermath of the looting as ‘terrible’.
He was quoted by News24 as saying: ‘There are about three malls open and people have been queuing since 3am. Families are struggling and agitated. There are severe shortages of fuel, food and medicine. The army and police are stretched but they are working with private security [to protect it].’
Risk management expert Ryan Cummings said food shortages intensified anxiety over the unrest, especially on the back of economic desperation brought on by Covid-19.
He said: ‘Hunger and desperation are a hugely volatile factor.’
Dr Imtiaaz Sooliman who heads NGO Gift of the Givers, said his organisation had ‘put its entire machinery into action’ to respond to the crisis.
News24 also reported that smaller airports in KwaZulu-Natal were being used as a conduit for people fleeing the region, and for bringing in food supplies and security personnel.
A source at Virginia airport, in the north of the city, said there were about 84 inbound flights on Thursday and 74 outbound. Normally there are five to 10 flights a day.
The source said all the private charters were either evacuating people or bringing in food and private security personnel.
An employee at a charter company based at the facility said yesterday a plane took off or landed every 10 minutes.
Low-cost airline FlySafair said it had scheduled extra flights to Durban to transport supplies to the region. A spokesperson also said the airline had increased the carry-on allocation of passengers to accommodate the transfer of food.
[Image: Caleb Ruiter on Unsplash]