Violence erupts in Johannesburg as ex-South African president, Zuma jailed

July 12, 2021: Violent riots have erupted in two South African provinces since the imprisonment of former President Jacob Zuma, with supporters blocking roads and looting shops. At least 62 people were arrested, South African police said Sunday.

Zuma was sentenced last week to 15 months in prison for contempt of court. The 79-year-old former president was jailed for confirming a court order to testify before a state-backed inquiry investigating allegations of corruption during the president’s tenure from 2009 to 2018. His bid to be released from the East Court Correctional Center was rejected by a regional court on Friday. He is set to make another attempt with the country’s highest court, the Constitutional Court, on Monday.

The rioting by Zuma’s supporters started in his home region of KwaZulu-Natal province last week and spread during the weekend to Gauteng province, which includes Johannesburg, South Africa’s largest city.

Hundreds of people looted and set fire to shops in Johannesburg’s Alexandra and Bramley neighborhoods, according to a statement from Police Major General Mathapelo Peters. The body of a 40-year-old man was found burnt in a shop and police are investigating the situation, he said. In addition, at least three policemen were injured and one was hospitalized while trying to arrest the looters, according to the statement. The N3 highway connecting Johannesburg and the coastal city of Durban in KwaZulu-Natal was blocked for several hours, with a Zuma detainee south of Estcourt Prison, according to AFP reports.

The agency said some 23 trucks were also set alight in the Mooi River, about 150 kilometers northwest of Darban.

President Cyril Ramaphosa reiterated his call for calm in a speech on the COVID-19 sanctions on Sunday, urging people to express themselves in “peaceful protests” and to refrain from actions that could harm them and endanger the economy.

“People have been intimidated and threatened, and some have been hurt,” Ramphosa said, adding that “some people could die.” Despite appeals for calm, looting continued in the area around the gate until Sunday evening. Police said they were building capacity in both provinces and warned Zuma supporters against inciting violence on social media, saying they could be held accountable for criminal charges.

Shops will remain shut on Monday in both Kwa-Zulu Natal and Gauteng to avoid looting, district associations said.

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