Buildings were set on fire and properties looted in South Africa on Monday as unrest sparked by the jailing of ex-president, Jacob Zuma last week continued for a fourth day.
The country’s top court, which ordered Zuma jailed for refusing to appear before a corruption probe, is holding a review of its decision with a ruling expected later on whether the sentence will be upheld.
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The 79-year-old former anti-apartheid fighter remains popular, especially in his native KwaZulu-Natal province where he is seen to embody traditional values.
KwaZulu-Natal was hit hard by protests over the weekend, and on Monday flames could be seen coming from the roof of a shopping centre in provincial capital Pietermaritzburg as hordes of people rushed in to loot.
In Eshowe, a town near Zuma’s Nkandla home, police opened fire to disperse crowds after a supermarket was ransacked early on Monday.
Police said some sections of a major road in Johannesburg had been closed because of the protests.
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Dozens of cars were torched over the weekend in Johannesburg and KwaZulu-Natal, where protests erupted a day after Zuma was imprisoned on Thursday. Police said dozens have been arrested.
Although some of the protests appear to have been triggered by Zuma’s 15-month detention for contempt of court, they are tied in with economic hardship and tightened restrictions brought on by a third wave of the COVID-19 pandemic.
President Cyril Ramaphosa urged “peaceful protest” during a speech on Sunday.
He said;
While there are those who may be hurt and angry at this moment, there can never be any justification for such violent, destructive and disruptive actions.
Via AFP.
