What is looting?

Looting is to rob especially during or following a catastrophe as war, riot, or disaster or to rob especially on a large scale and usually by violence or corruption.

The difference between stealing and looting?

The act of stealing during a general disturbance, while looting is the act of robbing during a riot. Stealing normally mentions the activity to take away belongings of someone without permission or legal right, whereas looting is generally stealing typically when a war, riot, occur. It is also well-defined as taking away the belongings of the others forcefully. In situation like war, thieves take advantage of the situation as people leave behind a lot of belongings.  Stealing is done in order to take away the valuables, so that they can be sold or used by the person.

Articles on looting that you can read on includes:

In the Western Cape there has been numerous instances of looting taking place. One of the areas are, Samora Machel, where twenty-one residents were arrested after a Spar supermarket was looted along with other nearby businesses and few weeks ago the police had to investigating the circumstances surrounding the death of a pregnant woman during violent riot and looting in informal settlement. Yesterday in Valhalla Park, on the eve of  Heritage Day, also known as ‘’braai day’, a street was fled down by looters with whole animal carcasses slung over their shoulders and a deep freeze packed with meat as a butchery was stripped bare in Cape Town. Video footage taken by residents shows the butchery being raided aisle by aisle, with a deep freeze looted of all its contents. Looters ran down the street with packs of meat, screaming, as police arrived.

By: Ellouise Muller