Discussion | Migration Focus : What is the impact of looting on South Africa's economy?

South Africa has once again witnessed the disturbing scenes of looting and violence.

In Bloemfontein, what began as a community shut-down allegedly escalated into criminality, with violent groups and suspected gang members targeting foreign-national-owned spaza shops and local bottle stores.

While, in Estcourt in KwaZulu-Natal, police were forced to intervene and disperse crowds targeting foreign-owned businesses.

These incidents have re-ignited painful memories of the July 2021 unrest, which left more than 300 people dead, thousands of businesses destroyed, and billions of rands lost.

As communities grapple with unemployment, poverty, and service delivery frustrations, and the call for undocumented migrants imtensifies, questions are being asked about why protests continue to turn violent, who benefits from the chaos, and what lessons South Africa has failed to learn?

We are joined by Professor Ivan Turok, NRF Professor of Urban and Regional Economics at the University of the Free State, Potso Motoko, National Service Delivery Forum leader in Bloemfontein, and Mpumi Tyikwe - CEO of SASRIA, to unpack the social, economic, and financial consequences of looting and how communities can prevent a repeat of the devastation witnessed in 2021.

For more news, visit sabcnews.com and #SABCNews on all Social Media platforms.