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A man has died after a group of people who attempted to grab dumped liquor in the Mariannhill area outside Durban on Monday night were dispersed, police said on Tuesday.
The group, who were recorded entering the premises of the liquor warehouse, went viral, with some people expressing concerns that there could be a second round of unrest or looting.
However, police said the group were quickly dealt with after they had hopped a fence to get onto the property.
“Yesterday, a group of people went to Wilshire Road in Mariannhill, where they helped themselves to liquor that was dumped out of the liquor outlet. It was reported that the expired liquor was put outside after the outlet was cleaned, and they were waiting to dispose of it,” police spokesperson Colonel Thembeka Mbele said.
She said residents had noticed the liquor and stormed the premises.
Tensions have been relatively high in Durban and other parts of KwaZulu-Natal following civil unrest in mid-July that led to over 300 fatalities, including those in Gauteng. Economic losses have run into the billions.
Soldiers have been strategically deployed to parts of the province and Gauteng to quell any more violence.
Thus far, police have arrested hundreds, including a group of “instigators” who allegedly were behind some of the strategic targets during the unrest – like water and electricity supply.
