A drive was created to help looting victims in KwaZulu-Natal, and Gauteng get back on track.
South Africa (14 July 2021) – South Africa is no stranger to civil unrest, and once again this upheaval is impacting the lives of ordinary people. As many watch on from the sidelines, some proactive citizens have been spurred on to action by the destruction sweeping across KZN and Gauteng.
Malls have been ransacked, and blood banks and hospitals looted and vandalized. Homeowners have also had to defend their properties. Various initiatives have been launched to provide support to assist those affected, and the call for South Africans to Rally Together to Clean Up After Looting is trending.
Matthew Kearns has started a collection operation on Facebook sourcing much-needed food and medical parcels from across the country. His venture was launched without any politicking as to the cause of these acts of wanton violence. He simply hopes the goods will assist those in hotspot areas.
Kearns is appealing for donations of essential food and medicine for the people of KZN and Gauteng. He emphasizes that these are intended for use by law-abiding citizens, and friends and family, and not from communities engaged in looting.
This community drive is a collaborative effort with licensed Western Cape NGOs, to ensure safe and secure delivery. Collection is partly at Kearns’ home in Sandbaai, from where he’s coordinating the distribution logistics. The plan is for the food trucks to go straight to communities in desperate need.
The Kempton Park Community Page on Facebook is also helping looted businesses clean up, as is a RebuildSA Volunteers Group which aims to connect affected businesses with a range of volunteers. This group works off a volunteer information form that assesses skills and how these can be effectively used to assist those damaged during the recent riots. Businesses also need to complete a form so that a Volunteer Cleanup Group made up of 200 people can mobilise and offer labour, resources and clean-up relief to lighten the load.
Facebook group Help Rebuild South Africa Together is another avenue to get involved. They appeal to our sense of neighbourliness and encourage unity. They propose that we take food to neighbours in need, check up on those who require medication, and help wherever we can.
Anarchy on the streets is always a much-debated topic, and as expected, many people have taken to social media to express their views. These include the likes of Gavin Briggs who promotes harmony for future generations of South Africans.
Spread the word about how people can mobilise on these platforms, so that they can reach those who need help and thereby make an impact.
Stand together and show we care.
Below is a list of groups uniting to offer help in cleaning up after the looting.
- Volunteer to Clean Up Businesses after #ZumaUnrest 2021 – Link.
- The Kempton Park Community Group – Link.
- The Help Rebuild South Africa Together – Link.
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