Watch: PMB looter fails to get massive TV into his car

Oh, well this is embarrassing. A looter in Pietermaritzburg was caught out big time on Monday evening, after news cameras picked up his struggle to bring a 58-inch TV set home. The incident happened just before Cyril Ramaphosa addressed the nation, confirming that SANDF soldiers would be sent in to quell the violence in KZN and Gauteng.

Riots and violence cripple operations in KZN, Gauteng

Since Saturday, violent demonstrations have spilled over into outright riots, with stores and businesses being ransacked by thoughtless citizens. The unrest has made international headlines, and is thought to be linked to the incarceration of Jacob Zuma. Ramaphosa also blasted looters for leading their protests ‘through ethnic lines.

During these times of tension, however, we probably need a moment that has the ability to lighten the mood – if only for a moment. This PMB resident raised a smile nationwide when he realised he couldn’t fit a newly acquired Sin Tec television into his vehicle. Despite removing his registration plates to avoid detection, he’s now an unwitting viral star of these riots:

Watch: Looter struggles with huge TV

He was definitely defeated by television set…I once had that struggle at Festival mall after buying a tv and thinking it will fit into the car pic.twitter.com/XZeqRQbzti

— MonatellyMag (@Sharx515) July 12, 2021

Cyril addresses the nation, but fails to inspire

President Ramaphosa’s speech on Monday night has been criticised for ‘lacking authority’, but he did confirm that 2 500 soldiers would be deployed to handle looters in some of the worst-affected riot hot-spots in South Africa.

“We will not be deterred, as South Africans, from the task ahead of us. We are faced, as we have been faced many times before, with a moment of great challenge and great promise. Let us choose the path of peace and renewal. We will reject violence and chaos, so that can move forward.”

“Let us stand firm and emerge stronger. Together, we will defeat those who seek to destabilise our country, who seek to reverse the gains we have made. We will stand as one people, united against violence, unanimous in our commitment to peace and to the rule of law. We must commit ourselves not only to peace, but to greater economic opportunity for all.”