SOUTH Africans are expected to face major food shortages in the wake of days of violent unrest across two key provinces, as rioters upend supply chains by looting supermarkets and torching goods trucks.
Daily Maverick reports that with billions of rands of damage to warehouses, shopping malls, and transport infrastructure in KwaZulu-Natal, the full impact on the everyday lives of the province’s residents is beginning to emerge as food and fuel supply chain lines dry up.
By Wednesday morning, a run on the tanks saw queues of cars snake towards petrol stations for hours only for many to be turned away.
Finding empty or sparse grocery-store shelves are increasingly common while chains such as Shoprite Holdings Ltd and Pick n Pay Stores Ltd closed many outlets altogether.
In parts of Durban, long queues formed outside the few open food shops, and basics such as bread and milk were in short supply.
“Food is going to be a problem because shops haven’t been open for three days and many with bulk storage have been looted,” said Gavin Hudson, chief executive officer of sugar producer Tongaat Hulett Ltd, which has suspended milling and refining operations outside the city. “We are going to face some food issues in KwaZulu-Natal very shortly.”
Supermarkets that remain open and petrol stations in Kloof and Pietermaritzburg saw queues hours long, while in suburban areas residents rallied together with widespread bartering and sharing of commodities.
Rapidly beefed-up neighbourhood watches were monitoring highway off-ramps and other access points to prevent any intrusions to still unaffected shopping malls and trading areas while counting the costs in stored household items held at ransacked storage depots on suburban outskirts.
“We have two bags packed and ready to evacuate — last night there was sustained gunfire near us and we were terrified. Only this morning did we find out that it involved police keeping intruders at bay,” said one Kloof resident, who did not want to be identified.
Another tells of how a bulk food ingredients factory owner was loading basic items onto his bakkie and alerting his neighbours about where and when he can be found, in order to distribute to those most in need.
Bartering and sharing of essential household goods have become commonplace, mostly in suburbs where shopping malls were just smoking wrecks, looted or closed down due to security and staffing concerns. A common concern among inter-family Whatsapp groups was supply chain disruptions and their impact in the days and weeks to come.
Supermarket shelves were being rapidly emptied of goods that had little hope of being replenished anytime soon. Members of the local community were operating tills and petrol bowsers to enable facilities to function.
Residents of kwaXimba, a small village in rural KZN, report having no access to bread for several days as food and medication deliveries remain paused.
In some areas, farmers have had to place orders for eggs and fresh produce on hold as they have been overwhelmed by the demand.
In Umhlali, supermarkets have run out of all staples foods — flour, mealie meal, sugar, potatoes, and rice. In some instances, shoppers are buying up to 10 trays of eggs (180 eggs) at a time.
In Port Edward, only one supermarket, Sentra, escaped looting but increased demand for goods meant its stocks quickly ran out.
In Hillcrest, people began queuing outside the Spar from about 5 am. Seven hours later, some had yet to enter the doors as the queue continued to trail across the car park, around the building, and out onto the road.
