South Africa: Death Toll Mounts To 72 In Deadly Violence And Looting Triggered By The Jailing Of Former President Jacob Zuma

At least 72 people were killed and nearly 1300 arrested in large-scale rioting and looting that erupted across South Africa triggered by the last week jailing of former president Jacob Zuma, The Guardian reported.

Zuma was jailed for contempt of court after he refused to attend an inquiry into corruption during his nine-year tenure .The 15-month jail sentence was hailed as a victory for the rule of law after Zuma repeatedly attacked the courts and even predicted a popular uprising against judges.

Condemning the violence, President Cyril Ramaphosa has described it as unprecedented in the 27 years since the end of the apartheid regime.

The protests were marked by looting inside upscale malls and industrial warehouses. Looters made off with large televisions, microwave ovens, clothes and linen. Some drove cars and pickup trucks to stores to help remove items. Ten bodies were found after a stampede during looting at a shopping mall at in Meadowlands, Soweto.

The president has ordered deployment of thousands of army soldiers to the streets to support police who have so far failed to quell the riots.

‘The South African National Defence Force (SANDF) has commenced with pre-deployment processes and procedures in line with a request for assistance received from the National Joint Operational and Intelligence Structure (NATJOINTS) to assist law enforcement agencies deployed in Gauteng and KZN provinces to quell the unrest that has gripped both provinces in the last few days,’ said the SANDF in a statement.

The violence so far been largely confined to South Africa’s two most densely populated provinces: Gauteng, where Johannesburg, the largest city and economic powerhouse is located; and KwaZulu-Natal. KwaZulu-Natal has been the traditional stronghold of Zuma and has a long history of political violence.

According to the observers, while the initial outbreak violence may have initially been fanned by Zuma’s supporters, the economic distress that the country is facing may have also contributed to it.

Poverty has been exacerbated by severe social and economic restrictions aimed at curbing the spread of COVID-19. Unemployment stood at a new record high of 32.6 percent in the first three months of 2021.

Zuma was elected as the president in 2009. His tenure was marked by allegation of corruption and cronyism. In the 2000s Zuma was accused of taking bribes from a French arms company while he served deputy president.