Slovo Park informal settlement dwellers who started looting amid protests on Tuesday not only helped themselves to groceries from shops in the Nancefield industrial area‚ but many also made off with large pieces of furniture.

Among the looted items were couches‚ tables‚ chairs and car parts‚ Johannesburg metro police said on Wednesday.

The looting happened on Tuesday night.

But the joys of having brand new furniture were short lived as the JMPD and SAPS went on raids in the area on Wednesday afternoon and recovered goods worth around half a million rand.

“The goods were found inside shacks in the Slovo Park informal settlement after officers received a tipoff‚” said Minnaar.

The informal settlement is across from the Eldorado Park area which has been plagued by protest action in the last few days.

Minnaar said the looters took advantage of the disruptions caused by Eldorado residents who are demanding land to build houses.

“No arrests were made [from the Slovo Park residents] and the goods will be returned to the business owners once the criminal investigation has been completed‚” he added.

On Tuesday‚ the local community policing forum said it had been trying to calm the situation since Monday‚ saying thieving thugs had hijacked their protest action.

“The situation has become out of control and chaotic‚ and we know that now we are just dealing with a criminal element‚” Cheryl Pillay‚ chairman of the Eldorado Park Local Drug Action Committee told Times Media on Tuesday.

“The looting has escalated to the point at which we‚ the community‚ have to stand together to try to protect each other’s property.”

Minnaar said while the protest action continued on Wednesday‚ it had happened on a smaller scale.