eThekwini Municipality said on Monday that a video doing its rounds on social media of what appears to be Durban Metro Police looting, is false.
The city said in a statement that the police were confiscating stolen goods and not looting.
The video, which has been circulating on social media, shows Metro police officers carrying stuff into a police minibus and driving away, while people loot shops in South Beach.
The city clarified that on investigation it has been found that the police were recovering stolen stuff.
“Upon a preliminary investigation it was determined that the officers were not looting, but rather confiscating the goods from looters and recovering items that were abandoned by those criminal elements who were looting,†said the statement.
In terms of police procedure and policy, all items recovered have been entered in an SAPS register.
Durban has been taken over by a wave of looting throughout the city.
Shops in Pinetown, Hillcrest, Durban and many other places have been broken into and robbed.
The municipality said hundreds of people found with stolen items have been detained.
“The city calls on communities to remain calm considering the civil unrest currently taking place and to listen to the radio and other media to stay informed of current developments,†it added.
