Spaza shop owners in Delft clear out amid looting fears

Spaza shop owners in Delft, Cape Town, evacuated their businesses on Wednesday in fear of imminent looting after the R300 was closed by protests.

Cape Town metro police spokesperson Maxine Jordaan said the road was closed between Jakes Gerwel Drive in Philippi and the Stellenbosch Arterial in Delft.

About 100 people were dispersed by police in Delft after they closed roads there.

On Tuesday, videos reportedly shot on the Stellenbosch Arterial showed people stoning food delivery trucks before overturning and looting them.

According to Jordaan, police, metro police and law enforcement officers at the scene of protests along the R300 near Jakes Gerwel Drive reported being shot at with live rounds after dispersing protesters, who fled into Heinz Park and New Woodlands.

“There are reports of protesting in the Philippi area,” said Jordaan. “We have the following road closures in place: the R300 is closed at Jakes Gerwel Drive with no traffic allowed towards the N2, and we also have the R300 direction Mitchells Plain closed at the N2, and the interlink onto the R300 in both directions is closed to traffic.”