Thread by @ewnreporter

BREAKING NEWS: Reports from Meadowlands, Soweto are that several people have been killed in a stampede. Premier David Makhura, who was meant to address media at midday, is on the way there now, he will speak after the situation there is assessed.

Makhura has arrived in Meadowlands.

"This looting and violence is something that needs to stop." Makhura tells the SABC's Chriselda Lewis as he does a walkabout with police. #ShutdownSA

"Health services, vaccination has slowed down,"

Makhura appeals to community leaders to urge residents to stop the looting.

BREAKING NEWS: 10 people have lost their lives at Ndofaya Mall in Meadowlands during looting, says Premier David Makhura. #ShutdownSA

Makhura says this takes the number of dead in Gauteng to 19. #Meadowlands

Health services and vaccinations have slowed down, says Makhura. #Meadowlands #ShutdownSA

Makhura says the looting undermining the work to rebuild the economy. He says he can't say the situation is under control. #Meadowlands #ShutdownSA

Law enforcement is overwhelmed, says Makhura #Meadowlands #ShutdownSA

This looting and violence will leave us in a situation we don't want to get to. We need leadership from communities, from townships to suburbs. #Meadowlands #ShutdownSA

We are still trying to consolidate the cost of the riots in Gauteng. But it has set our economy back, says Makhura. #Meadowlands #ShutdownSA

The impact on the township economy is quite severe. Dreams are being destroyed, says Makhura. #ShutdownSA #Meadowlands

Gauteng Safety MEC points out a shop where 6 bodies were found after the stampede. #ShutdownSA #Meadowlands

The criminal element knows what they're looking for. Looting must stop. Violence must stop. We want people who are running their businesses to earn a living and feed their familes, says Makhura. #ShutdownSA #Meadowlands

Makhura says COVID is still hanging over our heads. He was encouraged by numbers showing we were turning the peak in Gauteng. But now there are big groups of people without masks. #Meadowlands #ShutdownSA

We can see there are people systematically behind this. We lost a Metro Police officer. We will get them behind bars, says Makhura. #Meadowlands #ShutdownSA

You won't see the soldiers at some points because they have been sent to different areas. But they are there, and the police advise them on where to be, says Makhura. #ShutdownSA #Meadowlands

Makhura implores South Africans to feel for the police, saying they are doing the best they can. Leaders are speaking to law enforcement officers. #ShutdownSA #Meadowlands

We also have the 11th person in the Meadowlands area who was involved in another looting incident. - Makhura. This means the total deaths in #Meadowlands so far is 11. #ShutdownSA

Gauteng Safety MEC Faith Mazibuko says adults should keep children at home and use social media groups to warn each other about problems in the area. #ShutdownSA #Meadowlands