A meeting was held between the Wattville local council and shop owners of foreign decent for the purpose of contributing funds in order to help the community clean-up project “Wattville Skoon Maak” headed by volunteers with purchasing equipment such as lawn mowers, spades, brooms, e.t.c.
On the evening of the 15th May this effort was tainted by some community members looting a shop, apparently because the owner could not pay the agreed upon amount R5oo of R1000 for the year to be invested in a joint account by shop owners at FNB. Council members showed us a document of agreement between them and the council which they say they take with, escorted by the police to go and collect these contributions.
Initially a man was arrested first, and on the 16th two council members were ordered to hand themselves over to the Actonville Police Station as they were allegedly involved in the looting.
When Speaking to one council leader who was also implicated, he said, he went to the shop only to defuse the situation after being called by a whistle blower (first arrested), and an accused council woman denies ever being on scene.
Shop owner Abram Muhamed said a man and woman claiming to be from the local council first came to collect money in the morning and he told them he could not pay then. they later came back in the afternoon with the mob to loot.
