[ad_1]
Armed South African police officers protect deliveries of food and supplies to supermarkets after days of widespread looting and violence.
Riots were sparked by the imprisonment of former President Jacob Zuma.
An estimated $ 1 billion (£ 720 million) stock has been stolen in KwaZulu-Natal and at least 800 retail stores have been looted, a provincial mayor has said.
President Cyril Ramaphosa has said his government will not allow “lawlessness and chaos” to prevail.
He also suggested that the violence was deliberately provoked.
In KwaZulu-Natal, Mr. Zuma’s home province and the epicenter of the violence, many are lining up for food, with some lining up in the early hours of the morning just to get a few items.
Those in line told the BBC they feared feeding their families, getting formula and diapers for their babies, and even food for their pets.
The week of violence in the province has left roads damaged or blocked by rioters and the government wants to make sure the food supply is not disrupted, acting minister Khumbudzo Ntshavheni said.
Members of the military have been deployed to protect national hot spots and police are providing escorts for the transport of oxygen, medicine and other essentials, she said.
Mxolisi Kaunda, mayor of eThekwini, a municipality in KwaZulu-Natal that includes the main city of Durban, said R16 billion ($ 1 billion; £ 720 million) was lost in property damage.
Speaking in Durban on Friday, President Ramaphosa said it was clear that the incidents were “the instigation” and “we are after these people”. He didn’t say who he was talking about.
The protests began last week after Zuma surrendered to police to serve a 15-month sentence for contempt of court.
Zuma’s supporters have reacted with fury to his imprisonment, blocking main roads and calling for a closure to demand his release.
The protests turned into riots on a scale rarely seen in South Africa, with businesses from all sectors looted, torched and bombarded with gasoline in towns and villages across KwaZulu-Natal.
The official death toll stands at 91 in KwaZulu-Natal and 26 in Gauteng, which includes Johannesburg, for a total of 117 killed.
Source link
