While police retrieved food and other goods stolen during the riots at Nguni Hostel in Vosloorus on the East Rand, residents were left in despair as some accused officers of taking money and leaving a trail of destruction in their homes.

At least two taxi drivers who spoke to Sowetan on Tuesday after the morning raids said cops made off with several envelopes with money.

The items that were confiscated include crates of alcohol,  cooking oil, bags of sugar and mielie meal, rice, washing powder, containers of peanut butter, soup packets, toilet paper and fridges. 

All of the items were loaded in a truck as residents looked on in despair.

Taxi driver Mbhekiseni Ndebele, 46, said 12 envelopes with R200 each were missing.

Ndebele stays with four other people in a five-room house at the hostel.

“While I was at work at Chris Hani Mall, I got a call this morning from a fellow resident that police are breaking into our house. I came here to see what was happening. When I arrived, I found my safe opened and my money gone. My clothes and blankets in my room were scattered about. There was even mielie meal poured all over my bed,” said Ndebele. 

The father of three said he was going to use the money to pay other taxi drivers.

Another taxi driver, Sipho Mdluli, 25, said three envelopes with cash were missing from his room.

“One envelope had R800, the other R700 and another R400. When I tried to go inside my house and stop the police from taking them, they ordered me not to enter,” Mdluli, a father of two, said.

“It is useless to complain because even if I go to the police station, nothing will happen because I will be going to the same police who took my money.”

Provincial police spokesperson Capt Mavela Masondo did not respond to requests for say despite making a commitment earlier that he'd respond.

Mpho Mchunu, 22, said her room was also ransacked and had her belongings turned upside down.

“I can’t believe what happened here. My clothes and blankets are all covered in mielie meal and tomato sauce. The police did this. They were even laughing as they were pouring the mielie meal over our kitchen floor.

“We couldn’t do anything. They told us not to come any closer to them as they were going through our stuff in our rooms. I even lost my R350,” Mchunu said.