Videos of South Africans in the province of KwaZulu Natal looting a broken-down truck that was delivering meat went viral on Twitter. A member of the French NGO Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF), also known as Doctors without Borders, a medical humanitarian organisation, was also caught on camera stealing. The “doctor” appeared impervious to being admonished for theft.
The video showed how people were rushing to steal beef carcasses in broad daylight from a delivery truck that had broken down on the side of the road. The person who filmed the crime, presumably the owner of the broken-down vehicle, was ignored and some looters simply turned their faces away from the camera while they kept on looting.
Online users were disturbed to see how many people showed up to partake in theft. They came rushing from the tall grass towards the truck stuck on the side of the road, helping themselves to the carcasses.
The presumed owner started reading out the vehicle number plates of the thieves and confronted them on camera. The MSF employee happily posed with the owner, but refused to return the stolen meat. Instead he attempted to plead ignorance but failed to offer an explanation about the meat in his possession.
Looting is illegal in South Africa and considered a form of theft and can result in consequences such as fines and imprisonment. Twitter users described the looters as criminals and called on the police, the SAPS to intervene. Calls to MSF’s office in Marshalltown, Johannesburg, were not returned.
Sean Christie, an MSF spokesperson, however, spoke to South African news outlet IOL and said the matter was also now subject to police investigation.
Visuals of the looting were taken on January 19 in the King Cetshwayo District on the R66 road.