Bread is becoming a scarce commodity in shops that remain open as bakeries cannot operate due to violence in parts of Gauteng and KwaZulu-Natal.

Siobhan O’Sullivan of Premier Foods, which produces Blue Ribbon bread, said operations had been significantly affected by ongoing protests and looting in the two provinces.

“Some of our operations have been impacted, mostly due to employees not being able to get to work. Our priority is the health and safety of our employees, and we are doing our utmost to ensure they are not put at risk. We have not been able to deliver staple foods in KwaZulu-Natal since Sunday,” she said in response to a query from TimesLIVE.

O’Sullivan said access to fuel, raw ingredients and packaging were also hampering their ability to supply basic foodstuffs to communities that need it most. She said KwaZulu-Natal has been worst affected.

“Food security is critical for communities. Premier Foods plays a significant role in ensuring people have access to bread, maize and wheat, among other products. We monitor the situation daily, are in contact with our suppliers and customers, and distribute where and when we can,” she said.

“There may be disruptions in supply or delays in deliveries in the inland region, but we foresee continued disruptions to supply in the KwaZulu-Natal region.”

O’Sullivan said they remain focused on ensuring access to critical staple foods for the communities they serve.

Albany Bread issued a notice on Twitter, saying its bakeries in KwaZulu-Natal had temporarily closed due to civil unrest in the province. Delivery of bread in Gauteng was constrained due to difficulty in gaining access to some areas and a number of stores being closed.

Residents in parts of Soweto and Kagiso on the West Rand have reported there is no bread at shops still able to trade.

This is a developing story.

TimesLIVE