KWADABEKA, KWAZULU-NATAL — The South African National Defence Force (SANDF) has been deployed to the scene of the KwaDabeka looting in Clermont, west of Durban, following a destructive overnight raid that left several businesses ransacked.
Troops were stationed at the affected shopping centre on Wednesday morning to secure the area after at least two supermarkets, including a Save More branch, and a dental practice were broken into. Looters made off with a wide variety of goods, store equipment, and cash after breaching ATMs and removing internal safes.
Mohammed Abdul, the centre and store manager, surveyed the massive destruction on Wednesday, confirming that the financial damages run into millions of rand.
According to Abdul, the SANDF and local law enforcement were called to assist during the night, but they arrived after 1:00 AM, by which time the looting was already well underway. He noted that the sheer size of the crowds overwhelmed the initial security response.
“When the shop was first being looted, law enforcement came to us and said, ‘Guys, we are here to save your lives,'” Abdul explained. “They saw a crowd of people trying to do things wrong. They tried to defend, but it never happened. They told us to protect ourselves and stay clear from trying to deter the individuals.”
The targeted Save More supermarket is owned by a foreign national who is legally in the country. Abdul emphasized that the store is a vital lifeline for the surrounding area, employing 19 local residents and serving hundreds of community members daily.
While workers were seen on Wednesday attempting to close up and bolt the damaged premises, Abdul expressed uncertainty about the future of the business. “I don’t know what to describe… we are just counting the costs now,” he stated, noting that the general store was completely stripped of its inventory.
This is not the first time the business has been targeted by mass looting. Abdul pointed out that the store suffered a similar fate during the July 2021 unrest, making this the second major incident of its kind. As the community grapples with the loss of one of its primary retail hubs, management is left assessing the extensive structural and financial damage with no clear path forward.
