Five looters have been sentenced for stealing R80,000 worth of meat during the July 2021 unrest. Their sentences have been welcomed by the NPA, but the underlying causes of the violence haven't been addressed and the alleged instigators remain at large.

A civil rights organisation has commended the courts for taking a hard line against the 2021 July riot looters by issuing stiff sentences, saying this will send a strong message against perpetrators of violence.

The July 2021 riots in KwaZulu-Natal and Gauteng were sparked by former president Jacob Zuma's incarceration for contempt of court. During the weeklong mayhem, which led to the deaths of more than 350 people, shops and factories were closed, with the total cost to the economy said to be above R50-billion.

Some of the looters were arrested, but many of the so-called ringleaders, who allegedly coordinated the looting spree, are still at large.

This week, five convicted looters were sentenced in the Durban Regional Court. In June this year, the five were found guilty of being in possession of R80,000 worth of meat in their bakkie in Chesterville township during the riots. The meat had been stolen from nearby Ayoba Cold Storage, which stored meat imported from Brazil.

Mduduzi Buthelezi (52), Mandla Ngcobo (59) and John Thobela (46) were sentenced to 10 years in jail while Sphelele Mazibuko (22), and Sabelo Shandu (23) were each given five years in jail for their part in the crime....