BLOEMFONTEIN, Free State – A wave of looting swept through Rocklands, Bloemfontein, in the early hours of Tuesday morning, with community members allegedly targeting a local bottle store and several other shops. Police have since taken about 100 people into custody and are maintaining a heavy presence in the area.
The unrest began around 4:00 a.m., according to bystanders gathered along the roadside. The bottle store at the center of the looting is located next to the Dr. Petrus Molemela Stadium, a well-known landmark in Bloemfontein, and is reportedly owned and managed by a Chinese national.
A journalist at the scene described chaotic scenes, with large crowds still inside the premises. Children, mothers, and even elderly women were observed carrying alcohol from the bottle store. Police appeared overwhelmed by the scale of the incident.
“The majority of them are still inside the bottle store,” the reporter noted, adding that authorities have confirmed plans to deploy additional officers to the area.
The violence in Rocklands stands in stark contrast to conditions in Phase Six, another part of Bloemfontein, where residents were seen going to work and children attending school as usual. In the affected area, however, children were absent from classrooms, and many locals stood watching the unrest unfold.
The looting follows growing talk of a “mass shutdown” across the region, with bottle stores and other shops now emerging as flashpoints. Police continue to guard the area to prevent further disturbances.