To listen to a From the Frontline Podcast: Confronting Catastrophic Criminality and Communist Chaos, click here. To listen to a From the Frontline Podcast: Chaos Ensues When the Church Becomes “Non-Essential” click here. To listen to the latest Christian Perspective on the News on Radio Cape Pulpit, click here. To listen to an audio presentation on this article, click here To see a video presentation on this article, click here to see a powerpoint on this article, click here The Most Destructive Rioting in South African History Brazen looting and malicious destruction of property has devastated the South African economy. These riots since the 9th of July, which are still continuing in many areas, are being described as “the worst” and “most destructive” in the history of South Africa. 8 Factories, 11 warehouses, 200 shopping mall complexes, 161 liquor stores and 50 schools in KZN have been looted and torched. Devastation The eThekwini municipality in KwaZulu/Natal calculates that the damage to infrastructure, property and equipment in their municipality alone exceeds 15 Billion Rand. They also noted that 150,000 jobs have been lost in their community and municipality alone. 40,000 businesses have been impacted, most of whom may never recover. Additionally 50,000 informal traders have lost their livelihoods and 1.5 million people have lost their potential to earn an income. Pharmacies Looted The South Africa Pharmacy Council reports that 90 pharmacies have been destroyed and looted beyond recovery which has led to the closing of all Clicks and Dis-Chem Pharmacies in KZN. Entire fridges full of insulin and other medicines were looted from these pharmacies as well. Not only have all the shelves in these pharmacies been looted, but even the pharmacy computers, with entire patient record databases lost as a result. Now tens of thousands of patients will need to make appointments with their doctors to have new prescriptions issued for their chronic medication requirements. Communications Towers Put Out of Action The Independent Communications Authority reports 113 cell phone towers vandalized. Arson The South African Canegrowers Association reports over 353,000 tonnes of sugar cane lost to arson. This amounts to more than R211 Million in lost revenue. This destruction in the middle of harvesting season has caused “irrecoverable losses to canegrowers and workers.” Anarchy The chief executive of the South African Property Owners Association (SAPOA) calculates that shopping malls and retail outlets in KZN and Gauteng have suffered in excess of 20 Billion Rands worth of damage in the last ten days. Mob Intimidates Police and Fire Brigade On Sunday, 18 July, at Hammarsdale in KZN, a Cold Storage facility was set on fire. Mobs then deterred the police from escorting the fire brigade engines responding to the fire. Stone throwers then forced the fire brigade to flee – while the Hammarsdale fire continued to rage. Destroying Investor Confidence Business Unity South Africa (BUSA) have stated that the economic damage caused by the anarchic actions will be long lasting and be felt across the board. “The result in the loss of jobs because of businesses not having the confidence to continue operating will exacerbate an already high unemployment rate. These events are being reported on globally … resulting in significant loss of confidence in our country as an investment destination, at a time when we are competing with more positive destinations in different parts of the world.” BUSA calculates that SASRIA, the state-owned insurance company, does not have the resources to compensate business owners for the over R12 Billion in claims. This will lead to massive shutdowns and increased unemployment. More Destructive Than War Economist Mike Schussler has noted that the financial losses for South Africa will be far more than the billions of rands of destroyed property and looted products. The looting of over 200 shopping malls and tens of thousands of businesses and the blocking of national highways will have a severe impact on distribution and will severely affect business and consumer confidence in South Africa, leading to further devaluation of the rand currency and massive, long-lasting harm to the country’s economy as a whole. Loss of Life Doctors Without Borders (MSF) reported that the prevention of the provision of essential healthcare delivery by blocking patients, medical staff and critical supplies from reaching medical facilities will cost even more lives. Hospital Targeted Police Minister Bheki Cele claimed that South African law enforcement agencies intelligence gathering averted the burning of a hospital full of patients in Durban. Ministry of Defence Caught Napping The Minister of Defence, Mapisa-Nqakula, stated that these riots have been “a learning curve” and that they were caught with their pants down. The minister of defence claimed that “It never occurred to us that we should move to areas such as malls. When the deployment of soldiers started, it focused on national key points…oil refineries and at airports.” She said that the government had not expected people to attack malls and hence there were no soldiers in the shopping centres. “Private Security Companies are Responsible to Protect Businesses - Not the State!” The Minister of Defence stated that it was primarily the responsible of private security companies to protect businesses and shopping malls. She described the private security companies as “well armed and well organized and in the main responsible for security in securing private properties and businesses.” This is significant as the ANC government is trying to pass a firearm control act to disarm private citizens! The South African Police Service publicly expressed their appreciation for the role played by private security companies in protecting lives and property. Military Mobilised to Counter Economic Sabotage and Terrorism All South African National Defence Force reserves have been called up to deal with the widespread economic sabotage and domestic terrorism. Murder and Marxist Mayhem The official death toll has risen to over 200. At Ndofawa Mall in Meadowlands, Soweto, ten people died in a stampede of looting. Police in KwaZulu/Natal were investigating 91 cases, including 14 of murder. In Gauteng, police were investigating 19 murders and 26 inquests. The police stated that most of the inquest dockets were relating to people trampled to death in stampedes during the looting of shops and malls while other deaths and injuries were related to ATM bank machine explosions and shootings. Looters Released from Police Custody The Democratic Alliance in KZN has complained to the provincial SAPS commissioner concerning reports that suspected looters arrested in the province had been released without charge due to “shortage of food” at the Pinetown Police Station! Community Radio Stations Attacked Community radio stations have also been attacked and looted. Sipho Motau, operations manager for MamsFM in Mamelodi reported that all their offices were vandalized, including the broadcasting studios, the computers, microphones and laptops stolen. The transmitter was also damaged and broken to the ground. Banks and Automatic Teller Machines Ransacked Mike Brown, CEO of Nedbank, reported damage to 50 branches of Nedbank and 300 Nedbank ATMs attacked. Half of all Nedbank branches in the country have been closed. 1,400 Automatic Teller Machines were damaged by looters. 300 Banks and Post Offices were vandalised. Catastrophic Collapse of Investor Confidence Mr. Brown pointed out that the damage to investor confidence caused by such criminal destruction of property will be catastrophic. “The damage is much more on our ability to attract investment over the longer term, either externally or internally. If people do not have the security of the rule of law as a foundation, they simply will not take the risk and rightly so….The riots have come at a time when the country can least afford it.” Xenophobic Attacks on Foreigners The Minister of State Security, Ayanda Dlodlo, reported that her department was looking into the xenophobic attacks on foreigners whose businesses seemed to be a particular focus of rioters and looters. Anne Michaels from the Africa Diaspora Forum (ADF) said that migrants were a particular focus of the rioters in Hillbrow and Malvern. She reported that all she could do was advise them to protect themselves, since the police were unable to. Orchestrated Domestic Terrorism ADF spokesman, Amir Sheikh, described what they were facing as “This is domestic terrorism. I don’t believe this thing is sporadic because it is well executed and well-funded.” Former Senior Members of State Security Alleged to be Involved Independent Data Surveillance expert, Murray Hunter, has reported the involvement of senior ex-state security agents aligned to former president Jacob Zuma. State Security minister, Ayanda Dlodlo, confirmed to journalists that the agency is investigating information about the alleged involvement of senior ex-agents aligned to former president Jacob Zuma. Police minister, Bheki Cele, reported that several names of former intelligent operatives had come up as instigating the riots and looting. They were working to arrest those responsible for planning the wide spread “protest actions.” Were the Riots Orchestrated? Reportedly the riots have so far claimed over 200 lives and over 3,000 people have been arrested. Numerous investigators are claiming that there is evidence that the violence was part of the carefully orchestrated plan being executed by senior security operatives tied to former president Jacob Zuma. The Defend our Democracy Campaign claims that the beneficiaries of state capture corruption played their ultimate card by orchestrating the riots as a smokescreen to enable them to keep their ill-gotten Billions stolen from the taxpayers. Economic Sabotage Electricity and water infrastructure had come under attack. Communication infrastructure had been damaged and life lines for distribution of goods and services, such as the N3 and N2 had been blocked. NGOs Caring for the Poor Devastated FoodForward SA has reported that their main warehouse in KwaZulu Natal had been looted and vandalized on Wednesday, forcing it to shut down operations. FoodForward SA supplies more than 4 million meals a month to the poor through over 1,200 NGOs. The ransacking and vandalizing of its main warehouse in KZN have left them with no stock and forced its closure. Managing director, Andy Du Plessis, reported that as it was the poorest of the poor who relied on meals from the NGOs that they supply, it is the poorest of the poor who will suffer. “Many rely on meals from us.” FoodForward SA has also suspended its operations in Johannesburg out of concern for the safety of their staff members. Clearly Orchestrated Plan of Sabotage Deputy Minister of State Security, Zizi Kodwa, says that the riots and looting have been a clear orchestrated plan of economic sabotage. “We have been following up in terms of domestic stability, the intelligence has been on a roll. The plot was big. Part of targeting malls is part of agitating for what is called popular revolt so that people at the end of the day abuse and exploit the socio-economic conditions which at the end of the day, those who loot do not understand the bigger plan.” Failure of Government Leads to Local Initiatives In the face of such wide spread failure of government and of the criminal justice system, numerous communities have organized to protect their lives and livelihoods. Others have mobilized volunteers to clean up the mess and help rebuild their devastated communities. Resilience South Africans have had to be resilient and resourceful to operate under a bewildering array of BBBEE Affirmative Action race quota regulations, with regular scheduled power failures, interruption of plumbing services and erratic (and often irrational) lockdown lunacy regulations stifling and strangling businesses and industries. Failed State Leads to Secession Movements With South Africa becoming more of a failed state, secession movements, such as CapeXit, are growing in popularity and support. Respect for life and property and for the rule of law is absolutely essential for any society. Lawlessness is a recipe for the destruction of any economy. The first duty of government is to protect life and property and ensure respect for law and order. Indoctrination and Entitlement Propaganda The recent devastating riots and looting spree highlights the consequences of decades of secular humanist, situation ethics indoctrination in state schools, the results of officially promoted sense of entitlement and a highly irresponsible news media which has persistently described violent riots as “protests” along with glamourizing rioters and terrorists who targeted civilians with bombs and stoned motorists with rocks and concrete slabs. It also shows the inevitable consequences of the Marxist Critical Race Theory propaganda to incite a victim mentality that justifies blatant theft, brazen looting and malicious damage to property. The Failure of Churches Chaos ensues when the church becomes “non-essential.” It is long over-due for churches to recognize that no politicians have the right to describe their ministry as “non-essential.” The lockdown lunacy which deemed abortion clinics and casinos as essential but church services as non-essential cannot be accepted. The chaos and destruction hitting so much of South Africa today is not only a result of state policy and in the failure of the criminal justice system to punish lawbreakers. It is also an indictment on those thousands of churches that have accepted what corrupt politicians have told them – that they are “non-essential.” True Churches are Essential Any church which believes that fulfilling the Great Commission of the Lord Jesus Christ is non-essential, has probably become non-essential. It is absolutely essential that churches wake up, open up, stand up, step out in faith and speak up, fighting the good fight of Faith. An Urgent Call to Prayer and Action We need to seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness. The Great Commission must be out supreme ambition. We need to be salt and light in a dark and corrupt society. We need to love our neighbour and do to others as we would want to be done unto. Never has the message of our Lord Jesus Christ been more important and urgent than now. Make a Difference We need to have our minds renewed so that we will not be conformed to this world but be transformed by the renewing of our minds. Let us build dynamic congregations, home Bible study fellowships and Christian Action groups that can make a positive difference in each community. We are either part of the solution or we are part of the problem! “Who will rise up for Me against the evildoers? Who will stand up for Me against the workers of iniquity?” Psalm 94:16 Dr. Peter Hammond Frontline Fellowship P.O. Box 74 Newlands 7725 Cape Town South Africa 021-689-4480 [email protected] www.FrontlineMissionSA.org www.ReformationSA.org See also: God’s Law or Chaos Responding to Revolution with Resistance and Reformation
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