City condemns lawlessness
THE CITY of Joburg has strongly condemned the ongoing acts of violence and looting and the unnecessary destruction of property and infrastructure in the city.
Economic Development MMC Lawrence Khoza said yesterday he noted with concern acts of lawlessness in various parts of Joburg.
“These acts of violence happen at the time when the city is registering positive economic trends after months of economic decline as the result of the Covid-19 pandemic and negative economic growth,” Khoza said.
He said the city, country, and the world at large, were still battling the deadly pandemic, with the fast-spreading Delta variant putting unimaginable strain on limited resources.
“As the city focuses on the current roll-out of vaccination plans across all the seven regions in the City of Joburg, the city would like to focus all its efforts and resources on the recovery of its economy,” he said.
“These disruptive tendencies, behaviour and activities are not helping the current economic environment. Big business, SMMEs and co-operatives are going to suffer and possibly be liquidated as a result of these unfortunate acts of violence and looting,” Khoza said.
He added that in a metro characterised by high levels of unemployment, the looting and violence would only lead to more people losing their jobs.
“The city will continue to build an inclusive economy that benefits all the citizens and economic stakeholders in the city. The city believes that shared growth can only be achieved in an environment that is attractive to investment.
“Such an environment would create the fiscal space … to spend on empowering SMMEs, co-operatives, youth, women and people with disabilities. The looting of businesses simply chases businesses away and forces many to close shop – leading to job losses and non-creation of new jobs.
“The city will not tolerate looting and damage to property of any kind and calls upon law enforcement agencies to act firmly and expeditiously against lawlessness and economic disruption. The city commends the presence and visibility of law enforcement agencies. It is our expectation that their efforts will help deal effectively with the current acts of lawlessness and bring much-needed normality in the city’s economy,” he said.
The city further urges all residents to immediately report any criminal activity to the police and the Joburg metro police on 0860 010 111 and 0800 002 587, respectively.
Meanwhile, the National African Federated Chamber of Commerce and Industry (Nafcoc) has condemned the political unrest that has raged across South Africa over the past few days.
The violence and destruction have so far been confined to KwaZulu-Natal and Gauteng, but have wide-reaching implications for businesses across the country, as well as the wider economy.
Nafcoc Gauteng spokesperson Refilwe Monageng said: “We are very saddened to see the destruction of businesses, property and threats to the safety of citizens … Black-owned businesses, in particular, cannot afford this turmoil. Black entrepreneurs throughout South Africa have already been in crisis mode for well over a year following various forms of lockdown restrictions since March 2020.”