The ANC has confirmed that a ward councillor and member of the ANC has been arrested for involvement in looting.

The ward councillor has been charged with allegedly looting a liquor store at a mall in Daveyton amid the unrest in the Gauteng province. The party released a statement saying it cannot confirm which charges will be brought against the ward councillor as yet, although, it believes that the ward councillor will face the full might of the law.

According to EWN, the councillor was among those who were arrested for looting a bottle store at Daveyton Mall. What begin as a clear protest for the release of former president Jacob Zuma quickly spiraled into massive unrest, leading to the destruction of shops in malls, warehouse, and other infrastructure. As a result, Law enforcement officials supported by the military are working tirelessly to ensure that the country returns to peace and stability and that those responsible for instability are quickly brought to book.

President Cyril Ramaphosa addressed the nation last week Friday night as the violent protest in Gauteng and KwaZulu Natal subsides. Ramaphosa promised to hold those accountable for what he called a direct attack on the democracy of South Africa. Moreover, he stated that measures are being put in place to assist those affected by violence and admitted that the government was not prepared for the scale of these protests.

He went further and declared that those behind the sabotage had been identified and criminal proceedings are instituted against them. “What I can confirm is that it is economic sabotage. We are not at liberty to announce who is behind it because, if we do that, we will jeopardize the investigation and successful prosecution of the cases” President Cyril Ramaphosa explained.

Addressing the media on Wednesday, ANC regional secretary, Thembinkosi Nciza stated that although the party can confirm the arrest, they cannot confirm the charges that have been brought against the ward councillor. In addition, he stated that should the allegations be true, the ANC will have no choice but to implement its step-aside resolutions, which stipulates that the members of the ANC who are facing criminal charges should leave office until are cleared of wrongdoing.