Riots and looting in South Africa were “deliberate, coordinated and well planned”

President Cyril Ramaphosa said calm had returned to most areas torn by looting and violence in KwaZulu-Natal and Gauteng this week.

On national television, he says the effects will be felt for weeks to come.

He admits that “we must recognize that we were ill-prepared for an orchestrated campaign of public violence, destruction and sabotage of this nature.

“While we applaud the courageous actions of our security forces on the ground, we must admit that we did not have the capabilities and plans in place to react quickly and decisively.

“Our police faced a difficult situation and demonstrated commendable restraint to avoid any loss of life or further escalation.

“However, once additional security personnel were deployed, they were able to quickly restore calm to most of the affected areas.”

“Deliberate” attacks
Ramaphosa says: “It is now clear that the events of the past week were nothing less than a deliberate, coordinated and well-planned attack on our democracy.

“The constitutional order of our country is threatened.

“The current instability and the constant incitement to violence constitute a direct violation of the Constitution and the rule of law.

“These actions aim to cripple the economy, cause social instability and seriously weaken – if not dislodge – the democratic state.

“Under the pretext of a political grievance, the perpetrators of these acts sought to provoke a popular uprising.

“They have sought to exploit the social and economic conditions in which many South Africans live – conditions that have worsened since the onset of the coronavirus pandemic – and to incite ordinary citizens and criminal networks to engage in opportunistic acts of looting.

“The ensuing chaos is used as a smokescreen to carry out economic sabotage through targeted attacks on trucks, factories, warehouses and other infrastructure necessary to run our economy and providing services to our people.

“Through social media, fake news and disinformation, they have sought to stir up racial tensions and violence.

“Worse yet, they have sought to manipulate the poor and vulnerable for their own benefit.

“Yet despite widespread destruction, this attempted insurgency failed to gain popular support.

“It failed because of the efforts of our security forces, and it failed because the South Africans rejected it and stood up to defend our hard-won democracy.

“Preparation” review
The president said that once the crisis is over, the government will undertake a thorough and critical review of its preparation and response.

Police Minister Bheki Cele is traveling to KwaZulu / Natal today to crack down on racial violence between Zulu and Indian South Africans which has caused 20 of 212 deaths from the unrest.

Cele and Ramaphosa say a dozen instigators of lawlessness have been identified. One of them is one of the 2,550 people arrested.

Former spy chief Tulani Dlomo, who also served as South Africa’s ambassador to Japan, surrendered to police and vehemently denied being one of the instigators.

He says authorities have turned to him this week to help him cope with the violence.

Ramaphosa says the N3 motorway between Johannesburg and Durban has been opened and is being watched by contingents of 25,000 troops recruited to assist the police.

In addition to dealing with the extensive damage caused by the looters to 161 shopping malls and malls, 11 warehouses, eight factories and 161 liquor outlets, the government must stabilize the country and secure essential supplies and infrastructure.

Reconstitution
Ramaphosa says the government must provide relief and support recovery and reconstruction.

“We must encourage the active efforts of citizens in defense of lives, livelihoods and democracy,” he said.

“To stabilize the country, we have massively increased the number of law enforcement and security personnel on the ground in KwaZulu-Natal and Gauteng.

“Specialized units of our law enforcement are working tirelessly to locate and apprehend those responsible for planning and cooperating with this violence.

“We will spare no effort to bring these people to justice. ”

Ramaphosa continues to resist calls for a state of emergency.

He is confident that “the deployment of our security forces, in collaboration with communities and social partners across the country, will be able to restore order and prevent further violence.

“We will put out the raging fires and eradicate even the last embers.

“We will identify and act against those who kindled the flame and those who spread it.”