BLOEMFONTEIN – Community members in Rocklands, Bloemfontein, have allegedly looted a local bottle store and several other shops, leading to multiple arrests as police officers now guard the area against further disturbances.
According to reports from the scene, approximately 100 people have been taken in by police following the unrest, which began in the early hours of the morning around 4:00 a.m.
The bottle store, which is situated next to the Dr. Petrus Molemela Stadium—one of Bloemfontein’s landmarks—is reportedly owned and managed by a Chinese national.
A reporter on the scene observed that many of those involved appeared to be children and young people, though mothers and elderly women were also seen carrying alcohol from the bottle store. The majority of individuals remained inside the premises at the time of reporting.
Police were described as “inundated” by the scale of the incident. Authorities have indicated that additional officers will be deployed to the area.
The looting in Rocklands contrasts with earlier reports from Phase Six in Bloemfontein, where residents were reportedly going about their normal business, including traveling to work and school. In the affected area, however, children were not in school, and many residents stood by observing the scene.
The unrest follows talk of a “mass shutdown” in the region, with looting now reported at bottle stores and other shops.