Long queues at KZN shops as residents stock up on food

WITH fears of food shortages in parts of South Africa after rioters looted supermarkets, long queues formed yesterday as shops that had closed for safety in KwaZulu-Natal reopened to serve residents anxious to stock up on supplies.

Massive looting rocked parts of KZN and Gauteng for nearly a week, with some shopping complexes being burnt to the ground, after a protest against the jailing last week of former president Jacob Zuma for contempt of court degenerated into anarchy, wreaking havoc in the retail, fuel and transport sectors, among others.

Following the deployment of SANDF members to support the police trying to bring the situation under control, retail giant Shoprite said its supermarkets would resume operations once conditions were safe for employees and customers.

The group said it was working tirelessly to restock and rebuild stores affected by the violence in the two provinces.

Yesterday basic food items like bread and milk and baby formula were in high demand among residents across KZN.

In a national address on Monday night, President Cyril Ramaphosa warned that the country could face food and medicine shortages as a result of disruptions to supply chains and industries across KZN and Gauteng.

The Durban Chamber of Commerce and Industry warned the threat to food security should not be taken lightly.

“Producers of essential foods have now decided to temporarily shut down,” the chamber’s deputy president, Gladwin Malishe, said earlier this week.