Diepkloof protest: Driver of looted truck cooperates with police
Police said the truck driver accelerated through a crowd in an attempt to escape the looting, injuring multiple people.
Paramedics have arrived in Soweto on Monday, 19 May 2025, where bodies were discovered amid a service delivery protest on Monday, 19 May 2025. Picture: Mongezi Koko/Eyewitness News
JOHANNESBURG - The driver of a truck that protesters looted in Soweto on Monday morning is now cooperating with police in an investigation.
On Monday morning, residents from the Diepkloof hostel took to the streets over housing issues.
The Diepkloof interchange was barricaded with burning tyres, rocks, and debris, bringing traffic to a halt.
Two people have been confirmed dead following the demonstration.
Police said the truck driver accelerated through a crowd in an attempt to escape the looting, injuring multiple people.
ALSO READ: Police confirm discovery of bodies amid Diepsloot protest
Among them was a recycler who has since died.
In the chaos, the truck collided with an electric pole, leaving parts of Diepkloof in darkness.
Gauteng police spokesperson, Mavela Masondo, said the driver is cooperating.
“So, we are going to obtain a statement from him. Because he’s the one that hit people. So, it’s good that we are having him and he’s cooperating to tell us what transpired.”
No arrests have been made, but investigations continue.
We are on the scene where police have cordoned off streets. A man’s body lies covered beneath a silver sheet, metres from where a looted pilchards truck stood before running over him. The smell of fish fills the air. Residents look on, furious and heartbroken. @MongeziKoko pic.twitter.com/YvjkOTYw9v
— EWN Reporter (@ewnreporter) May 19, 2025