Some of the scenes along Beyers Naudé Drive (formerly called DF Malan Drive) in Johannesburg where rioters are burning tyres and looting shops.In a fitting tribute to the radical cleric in favour of whom the road’s name was changed, blacks are rioting and looting along Beyers Naudé Drive in Johannesburg. A riot these days in South Africa is called a “service delivery protest”, so officially “Beyers Naudé Drive between Johan Street and Peter Road has been closed due to service delivery protests”.
This ATM was torn from the wall by rioters inside the Total service station.
Residents of the Zandspruit squatter camp protested on Beyers Naudé drive on Wednesday morning, burning tyres and barricaded the road with rocks.
But things really went wild when one of the rioters starting looting a petrol (gas) station, according to the Honeydew police in the area.
“Motorists should avoid Beyers Naudé and Marina Drive. Public order policing has been deployed to the area and we are monitoring the scene,” said Honeydew police spokesperson, Warrant Officer Karen Jacobs.
Johannesburg Metro Police Department (JMPD) spokesperson, Wayne Minaar urged motorists “to use alternative routes”, unless they wanted to get their vehicles stoned.
“The road has been closed and it should be for most of the day. There is a huge presence of JMPD and police on the scene,” he said.
Another part of the Total service station with evidence of looting.
Empty shelves inside the Total service station after the looting.