Violence surge in South Africa: July riots toll at 354

The number of deaths linked to the violent riots in South Africa in July amounted to 354, as reported today by the government of the southern nation.

“The Council of Ministers noted that the number of deaths from violence has been revised to 354, with the number of reported unrest-related deaths in Gauteng (province) unchanged at 79 and 275 in KwaZulu-Natal “South Africa’s acting minister in the presidency, Khumbudzo Ntshavheni, said at a press conference.

Ntshavheni reported that to date also six suspects were arrested -who appeared in court- for allegedly instigating the wave of violent incidents that began on July 9 and started in the form of protests from the imprisonment of controversial former president Jacob Zuma (2009-2018) for contempt of court, committed by repeatedly refusing to testify in a corruption case.

Even if surrendered peacefully “in extremis” On the night of July 9, he had previously insisted that he was the victim of politico-judicial persecution and that the prison sentence would be a “death sentence” for him because of his age and his state of health. . The event marks a historic moment for Africa, as it is the first time that a former president has been jailed for refusing to answer a corruption investigation.

In the following days, altercations were replicated in other areas -especially in Johannesburg– and turned into a cascade of riots and unprecedented mass looting for South African democracy, with crowds razing malls and stores, torching buildings and vehicles, and cutting off roads and streets.

The outbreak of violence looked like this fueled by pre-existing social issues, such as extreme inequality, unemployment, high levels of general crime in the country and unrest linked to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The coronavirus was particularly aggressively initiated with South Africa. Not only is it the country with the most cases and deaths in Africa, but by mid-2020 it was also among the 5 countries in the world hardest hit by the virus.

It was not until July 14 that the authorities began to regain control of the affected areas, largely through the deployment of 25,000 soldiers to support the overwhelmed police.

As President Cyril Ramaphosa said, the incidents were “instigated” and “there were people who planned and coordinated them”.

“The country faces complex challenges, including the need to continue to fight the coronavirus pandemic, heal the wounds caused by the recent unrest and rebuild the national economy. “Ramaphosa said in a televised speech.

More than 27 years after the official end of the racist “apartheid” system of segregation, South Africa still grapples with the legacy wounds of that time, which affect the black population much more deeply. According to World Bank data, The southern nation remains the most unequal country in the world, unemployment has remained anchored at around 30% for years (with even worse figures for young people) and more than half of the population lives in poverty.

(With information from EFE and Europa Press)

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