Rioters protesting the jailing of former President Jacob Zuma have set ablaze a popular Mosque in South Africa’s coastal city of Durban on Monday.
Muslim News findings have revealed that the whole mosque was gutted with one portion burnt down completely.
Shops near the mosque were also completely ransacked and set ablaze during incidents of unrest sparked by loyalists of Jacob Zuma, calling for his release from prison.
Reuters reports that more than 70 people have been killed in the unrest, the worst in South Africa for years, and hundreds of businesses wrecked. Food and fuel supplies are running short.
One of the community members, AK Lockhat confirmed the incident, adding that neither the police nor the fire department responded to calls to put out the fire.
“The fire department refused to come. The whole mosque is gutted. One portion is burnt completely. The rest of the mosque has smoke damage,” he said.
Lockhat said he, personally, pleaded with police to provide back-up, but to no avail.
Lockhat said the mosque was used to feed nearby community members, who were victims of a fire in the area.
“We arranged food … even for breakfast and lunch for today. But we cannot continue with any of that now,” Lockhat said.
He added: “We fed 300 people on Saturday and Sunday, and we were meant to feed people today.”
Lockhat said thousands of food parcels were distributed via the mosque since the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic.
“Some of the poor community members started coming and saying they are very sorry for what has happened.”
