Widespread looting and violence have plunged South Africa into chaos. The violence that broke out last Wednesday with the imprisonment of former President Jacob Zuma has now taken on a life of its own.
Initial estimates assume that up to 72 people were killed, mostly in mass rushes as thousands looted retail stores, shopping malls, and even radio stations.
The South African government has deployed more than 1,200 soldiers in two provinces – KwaZulu-Natal and Gauteng – to contain the violence and restore order.
READ: South Africa wavers under violence, riots: first hand report on the unrest on the ground
In a televised address to the nation on Sunday, South African President Cyril Ramaphosa even voiced concerns about the ethnic origin of the violence.
India has concerns about South Africa
Areas hit by the riot include Durban, Pietermaritzburg and Johannesburg, all of which have significant populations of Indian expats. There are also reports of Indian and South African owned companies of Indian descent being attacked by looters.
Looters outside a mall in Durban, South Africa on Monday (Photo Credits: AP)
Concerned about the safety of Indian expats, Foreign Minister (EAM) Dr. S. Jaishankar met his South African counterpart Dr. Naledi Pandor. Pandor assured the State Department (MEA) that the South African government is doing its best to restore normalcy.
Appreciate the conversation with South African Foreign Minister Naledi Pandor today. She affirmed that her government was doing everything it could to enforce law and order. The speedy restoration of normalcy and peace was a top priority.
– DR.S. Jaishankar (@DrSJaishankar) July 14, 2021
The South African Foreign Ministry stressed that the ongoing events were criminal in nature and not politically or racially motivated.
IN PICTURES: South Africa threatens rioting over the imprisonment of former President Jacob Zuma
In addition to EAM Jaishankar’s meeting with Pandor, Secretary (MEA) Sanjay Bhattacharya also met with Joel Sibusiso Ndebele, South Africa’s High Commissioner for India, to discuss the situation.
What caused unrest in South Africa?
Former South African President Jacob Zuma, 79, was sentenced to 15 months in prison last week for disobeying the court. Zuma was found guilty of defying a court testimony during his tenure as president from 2009 to 2018 to testify before a government-sponsored investigation into corruption allegations.
Shortly after Jacob Zuma was arrested by the police, his supporters rioted in his home province of KwaZulu-Natal. Over the weekend, the unrest spread to Gauteng Province, which is South Africa’s largest city, Johannesburg.
File photo of former South African President Jacob Zuma (Photo Credits: AP)
Furious at Zuma’s arrest, his supporters blocked roads and highways using burned tires and other objects as obstacles.
It wasn’t long before the riots broke out into a senseless rampage of looting and arson. Shops were burned down and shopping malls looted when thousands took to the streets in protest. Videos from Johannesburg and other parts of the two affected provinces show rioters stealing food, electrical appliances, alcohol and even clothing.
Banks closed, radio stations robbed
The situation was so serious that the Nedbank banking group had to announce the closure of all of its branches across South Africa.
Afrox, the country’s largest oxygen production center, was also affected by the violence. Local media also report damage to factories and important supply routes.
A factory on the outskirts of Durban, South Africa was set on fire Wednesday (Photo Credits: AP)
In Alexandra township in Gauteng province, rioters did not even spare the radio station Alex FM, which has served the local community for 27 years. Thieves reportedly broke into the radio station in the middle of the night and stole 5 million rand ($ 350,000) worth of equipment.
Looting of shopping malls in Johannesburg, including the Jabulani Mall and Dobsonville Mall in Soweto, continued on Tuesday.
Officials said warehouse distribution centers had been targeted in Durban, the port through which 90 percent of South African imports are transported inland.
Troops fight to restore order
Despite the deployment of troops, the riots continue, especially in the two provinces affected, KwaZulu-Natal and Gauteng. Arrests have been made in Vosloorus, east of Johannesburg, but the situation is still critical.
The government troops were able to record some success when the riots in Sandton in Johannesburg, which is considered to be the most important economic center in South Africa, were stopped preventively.
A soldier stands guard as community leaders attempt to halt riots in the Vosloorus area of Johannesburg, South Africa on Wednesday (Photo: AP)
Large groups of South Africans were seen taking to the streets against the rioting in Soweto. The country’s Deputy Minister for State Security, Zizi Kodwa, praised the courage of Soweto residents in opposing the rampage.
Riots limited to Zuma’s imprisonment?
In the past 48 hours, at least two South African ministers have put on record that the riot may have broken out over the imprisonment of Jacob Zuma but has now been taken over by criminal elements.
It is also widely believed that former South African State Security Service officers loyal to Zuma are fueling the violence. There are also unconfirmed reports that some prominent politicians sympathizing with Zuma may be adding to the chaos rather than containing it.
However, it is difficult to overlook other factors that could have led to this rampage.
Official statistics put the unemployment rate in South Africa at 32 percent. With more than 6 billion South Africans living in poverty, layoffs and economic hardship caused by the Covid-19 pandemic have only made matters worse.
(With contributions from Geeta Mohan, Associated Press, Press Trust of India, and Reuters)
एक टिप्पणी भेजें