What caused the week of riots in South Africa?

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JOHANNESBURG (AFP) – South Africa has been rocked by the worst violence since the nation achieved democracy in 1994. Here’s a closer look at the turmoil.

What led to the violence?

The unrest began on July 8 when former President Jacob Zuma began serving a 15-month prison sentence for contempt of court. His supporters in his home province of KwaZulu-Natal set up barricades on major highways and burned about 20 trucks. The protests closed the N3 and N2 highways, which connect the Indian Ocean ports of Durban and Richards Bay to the industrial hub of Johannesburg and Cape Town.

Unrest spread within KwaZulu-Natal, with malls and malls looted by mobs who took food, electronics, clothes and alcoholic beverages. Attacks on retail centers also spread inland to Gauteng province, to Johannesburg, the country’s largest city, and to the capital, Pretoria. In Durban and Pietermaritzburg, crowds attacked warehouses of major retailers and factories, which were set on fire. Many of them burned until their roofs collapsed. The unrest lasted for a week until 25,000 soldiers were deployed.

How bad are the riots?

At least 215 people have been killed in the unrest, and more than 2,500 have been arrested on charges including theft and vandalism, according to updated government figures on Monday.

The unrest was largely confined to the provinces of KwaZulu-Natal and Gauteng, which together account for nearly 50% of South Africa’s GDP. The violence did not spread to South Africa’s other seven provinces.

Heavy damage was caused to 161 shopping malls and malls, 11 warehouses, eight factories and 161 liquor stores and distributors, according to the government. According to the Economist Intelligence Unit, an estimated 10 billion rand ($680 million) was lost in stolen goods, burned trucks and destroyed property.

South Africa’s economy could suffer long-term damage if domestic and international investors view the unrest as a sign that the country is not a safe destination for their capital. South Africa’s economy was already in the doldrums, and the instability is expected to further shrink the economy. The hardest hit will be the poor of South Africa, many of whom will not be able to buy food at competitive prices in shopping malls in towns that have been closed or burned down. People who receive monthly government grants, especially seniors, will not be able to get them at centers that have closed.

What is the cause of the deaths?

Police and government officials say many of the deaths were caused by people being crushed in a stampede during the chaotic looting of stores. At least 20 deaths occurred in the Phoenix area of ​​KwaZulu-Natal, as residents were protecting their area from suspected intruders, according to Police Minister Becky Seely. It was not known how many people were killed by police shooting the rioters.

Human rights organizations, including Amnesty International, are investigating the deaths.

Were the riots spontaneous?

After Zuma entered prison, several posts on social media encouraged protests, including attacks on highways and retail malls. On Monday, the government announced the arrest of six people on charges of inciting violence, without revealing their identities. One of the detainees was released on bail. Five remain in detention.

“The disturbances were orchestrated, instigated and planned … it almost brought our country to its knees,” said the Acting Minister in the Presidency of the Republic, Khumbudzo Nchavini.

President Cyril Ramaphosa also stated that the violence was planned. Police said they discovered large caches of ammunition.

The scale of the riots exposed the underlying economic problems in South Africa, including high unemployment and poverty. Unemployment stands at over 32%, and over 64% for those under 35, according to South African government statistics. More than half of the country’s 60 million people live in poverty, and more than 20% are food insecure. The country is one of the most unequal in the world, and that inequality has increased since the end of apartheid in 1994, according to the World Bank.

Why has Zuma become the focus of many legal issues?

Zuma, who has been a controversial figure for years, went to prison for contempt of court because he refused to testify before a judicial committee investigating allegations of corruption during his presidency from 2009 to 2018. The committee heard incriminating testimony from former cabinet ministers and senior executives In the state-owned enterprises that Zuma allowed members of the wealthy Gupta family to influence his ministerial appointments and award lucrative government contracts.

Zuma, 79, also faces separate corruption charges. He was accused of taking bribes from French arms manufacturer Thales in connection with the country’s controversial 1999 arms purchase contracts. At the time, Zuma was a high-ranking official in the ruling African National Congress and a provincial minister in KwaZulu-Natal. He allegedly received the bribes through his former financial advisor, Shabbir Sheikh, who was convicted of related charges in 2005, sentenced to prison and subsequently released on medical terms.

The ANC forced Zuma to step down as president in 2018 due to growing corruption allegations, but he still has a large following within the party, including senior ANC officials who are also facing corruption charges. Before his imprisonment, Zuma gave inflammatory speeches to his supporters in KwaZulu-Natal.

Human rights groups welcomed his imprisonment. When he entered prison, the Nelson Mandela Foundation said it was pleased to see Zuma in custody and criticized him for his “pattern of disregard for the rule of law and our constitutional democracy”.

The foundation said it was “deeply disturbed” by Zuma’s willingness “to prosecute public violence and lawlessness in support of political and personal agendas”.

What will maintain stability in South Africa?

The deployment of 25,000 soldiers to assist the police has succeeded in bringing an uneasy calm to the country. Highways were reopened and no violent incidents were reported on Monday. Volunteer groups help clean up wrecked retail centers. It was not clear how long the army would be needed on the streets.

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