Watch: Clicks store petrol bombed overnight as EFF protests turn ugly
The Economic Freedom Fighters’ (EFF’s) siege on Clicks stores across the country on Monday 7 September has already resulted in a range of damage to property, with a petrol bomb launched at a Witbank store in Mpumalanga in the early hours of the morning and further reports emerging of an Alberton branch in Gauteng having been set alight.
Led by various EFF leaders, hoards of supporters gathered at various malls and Clicks outlets to protest a racist ad campaign released by the retailer. Supporters in some instances have gone on a rampage of vandalism, gaining access to stores and pushing over shelves.
Watch: EFF members vandalise Clicks store
EFF supporters gained access to a Clicks store in Queenstown, where they hurled products from shelves across the room, leaving the store in utter disarray.
Witbank Clicks petrol bombed
Police spokesperson, Brigadier Leonard Hlathi, told The South African that the incident that took place in Witbank has not yet been affirmatively linked to the EFF protest.
“Some men came to the store and lit a petrol bomb and threw it at the storefront at around 1:00 on Monday morning,” he said.
“The glass was cracked and a fire broke out, but security guards who were on duty were able to put out the fire. There was no damage to the store itself, only the cracked glass and minor fire damage.”
“We don’t know at this stage whether or not they are affiliated with any groups that are protesting today, the investigation is ongoing,” he said, adding that no arrests have yet been made.
Ndlozi accuses Clicks of orchestrating petrol bombing
EFF MP Mbuyiseni Ndlozi tweeted on Monday that the incident may have been part of an elaborate scheme by Clicks to attain a more favourable ruling in terms of their application to gain an interdict against the EFF on Monday, which the retailer ultimately lost.
“Perhaps Clicks petrol-bombed itself in an attempt to influence the court ahead of its urgent application,” he said.
He said that EFF protests had been “peaceful”.
“The EFF protests, led by its leadership from the front, have been peaceful forms of direct action. There must be consequences to racism!”
Shivambu: ‘We will fight with whatever is possible’
The EFF’s deputy president, Floyd Shivambu, told reporters at the Sandton City Clicks outlet on Monday morning that the retailer could expect some “collateral damage” during the protests, but that this was really just desserts for the company after they failed to adequately apologise for the racist campaign.
“They are unfortunately going to suffer collateral damage but the fact of the matter is that we are not going to allow this and we are going to fight people with whatever thing possible,” he said.
He said that he hoped that the actions of his party would trigger reform in the company, whereby employees receive better salaries.
“That is our determination. If you check on what happened to employees when we took on H&M, after our action at H&M, they gave more benefits.”
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