WATCH | Mobile store in a truck brings relief to communities ravaged by looting and unrest

02 August 2021 - 10:00 By cebelihle bhengu
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Residents of Protea Glen in Soweto were able to shop for basic food items and withdraw money from a mobile Shoprite store on July 29. This after stores at the local mall were looted and destroyed at the height of the violence and unrest two weeks ago.

A high police presence, barricades, broken glass and wrecked buildings, the sound of construction — this is what is left of Protea Glen Mall in Soweto after unrest and looting engulfed the centre last month.

Entry to the mall is met with questions from security personnel who are protecting what is left of the building.

At the main entrance, the name “Zuma” is prominently painted in black against a white wall at the KFC outlet.

Last Thursday the mall, which is usually packed, was quiet with around 50 locals queueing to shop for essentials from the mobile Usave store housed in a truck. Shoprite sent its mobile “Usave eKasi” to help the community shop for basic food items.

Residents told TimesLIVE they first spotted the truck at Jabulani Mall the previous day. The Mall is 9km away from Protea Glen.

Dressed in their black and red uniforms, Shoprite Usave employees monitored the queue and allowed only four customers inside the mobile shop.

Community members queue outside a Usave mobile shop stationed in Protea Glen Mall last Thursday.
Community members queue outside a Usave mobile shop stationed in Protea Glen Mall last Thursday.
Image: Cebelihle Bhengu
A shopper exits the Usave mobile shop stationed in Protea Glen Mall last Thursday.
A shopper exits the Usave mobile shop stationed in Protea Glen Mall last Thursday.
Image: Cebelihle Bhengu

It may have been due to Covid-19 protocols, but just as well because there is limited space in the narrow shop, most of it filled with rows and rows of basic food items.

Resident Thuli exited the store without food items but with a roll of R100 notes in her hand.

Getting food and cash has become time-consuming and expensive as residents have to endure travelling long distances to access these services.

Last weekend, Thuli forked out R144 to travel 20km to Westgate Mall in Roodepoort, she told TimesLIVE.

“I’m badly affected by the looting because we have to travel far to shop for essentials. We have to use e-hailing services to access the malls and they don’t come cheap. Life is difficult at the moment,” she said.

Thuli suffered a double blow — the sudden and costly inconvenience of living without her local mall and the threat of unemployment. One morning three weeks ago she reported for duty but, to her shock, shops in the mall, including the one she was employed by, had all been ransacked to the last item.

“We were turned away by police. They told us we can’t work as no-one was allowed to enter the mall,” she said, blaming police for sleeping on the job.

Inside a Usave mobile shop stationed in Protea Glen Mall last Thursday.
Inside a Usave mobile shop stationed in Protea Glen Mall last Thursday.
Image: Cebelihle Bhengu
Bread, eggs and cereals were among the items sold in the Usave mobile shop at Protea Glen Mall last week.
Bread, eggs and cereals were among the items sold in the Usave mobile shop at Protea Glen Mall last week.
Image: Cebelihle Bhengu

Jabulani Mall was looted first. Thuli said police should have been on high alert and prevented looters hitting Protea Glen Mall. 

“I was shocked people gained entry to the mall. Why didn’t police act?” she asked.

Maize, rice and packs of meat were packed in plastic bags carried by other women who exited the truck.

Some local shops haven’t reopened since the looting, making it impossible to buy basic food items like bread, said resident Martin, who bought three loaves of bread at the mobile shop.

Customers queue to pay after shopping for essential food items in the mobile store.
Customers queue to pay after shopping for essential food items in the mobile store.
Image: Cebelihle Bhengu

“At least there’s this mobile shop and one can buy basic food items while the mall is being rebuilt. Malls are very important for the community because this is where we buy and pay accounts. The looting has affected a lot of us in the community,” he said.

Martin said looming unemployment for locals was among the main concerns while many in the community wait to hear their fate from employers.

For now, it isn’t much but initiatives like the Usave truck and others will help keep food on the table for one more day.


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