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South Africa: State Hopes 25,000 Troops Will Douse the Flames of the Insurrection
Daily Maverick, 14 July 2021
The government was caught by surprise as marauding mobs caused damage estimated at R15bn to businesses and a loss of about 200,000 jobs in KZN, but it hopes that consultations and… Read more »
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South Africa: Country Feels the Sting of Police Budget Cuts Amid Provincial Violence and Looting
Daily Maverick, 13 July 2021
Austerity-type cuts to police and army budgets in 2021 due to Covid-19 contributed to the slow response by authorities to the looting that erupted in parts of KwaZulu-Natal and… Read more »
South African Army to Help Quell Violence After Zuma Imprisonment
As chaotic scenes played out in pockets of KwaZulu-Natal and Gauteng, leaving many businesses gutted and looted by protesters, South African President Cyril Ramaphosa told the country in a televised address that it was vital that calm and stability be restored without delay. "We are therefore mobilising all available resources and capabilities to restore order," he said. Measures include the deployment of the South African Defence Force to support the police, the recall of police officers from leave and the prioritisation of the prosecution of suspects. The National Security Council, chaired by the President, will meet twice a day to coordinate all measures necessary to restore stability.
The president's speech came 24 hours after he addressed the nation on lockdown regulations.
Looting and lawbreaking that started in South Africa's KwaZulu-Natal province after the imprisonment of former president Jacob Zuma spilled over into Gauteng province. The Daily Maverick's Julia Evans reported that protests in Gauteng, ostensibly against Zuma's imprisonment, escalated into criminality, where civilians damaged property and roads, looted businesses and rioted, affecting public transport and power services.
South African National Defence Force personnel in support of the South African Police Service in Alexandra, Gauteng Province on July 13, 2021.
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South Africa: Public Violence Will Be Stemmed - Ramaphosa
SAnews.gov.za, 12 July 2021
As chaotic scenes played out in pockets of KwaZulu-Natal and Gauteng, leaving many businesses gutted and looted by protesters, President Cyril Ramaphosa said it is of vital… Read more »
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South Africa: President Cyril Ramaphosa - Address On Acts of Violence and Destruction of Property
Govt of SA, 12 July 2021
Address by President Cyril Ramaphosa on acts of violence and destruction of property at Tuynhuys, Cape Town Read more »
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South Africa: 'Civilian Patrols' Take Charge in Durban As Violence and Looting Continue
Daily Maverick, 12 July 2021
This was not a drill and not a movie set either. As looters terrorised nearby areas, residents in Durban suburbs were forced to take their fate into their own hands - at least… Read more »
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South Africa: Defence Force Deployed to Contain Violence, Looting Following Zuma Incarceration
Daily Maverick, 12 July 2021
The South African National Defence Force (SANDF) will be deployed to areas in KwaZulu-Natal and Gauteng experiencing civil unrest, Brigadier-General Mafi Mgobozi confirmed with… Read more »
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South Africa: Sending in the Troops - Is It a Help or a Hindrance Having Soldiers On the Streets During Tense Times?
Daily Maverick, 12 July 2021
The rioting and looting in parts of Gauteng and KwaZulu-Natal has reached a point where the presidency has decided to deploy the military in support of the police. Despite there… Read more »
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South Africa: NatJOINTS Intensifies Deployments in Protest-Hit KZN, Gauteng
SAnews.gov.za, 12 July 2021
The NatJOINTS has intensified deployments in all Gauteng and KwaZulu-Natal areas affected by the violent protests that have seen properties damaged and looted over the weekend. Read more »
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South Africa: Road to Local Elections - Jacob Zuma's Jail Sentence Could Spell Bad News for the ANC in KwaZulu-Natal
Daily Maverick, 11 July 2021
The former president's fall from grace is expected to erode support for the ANC. Read more »
InFocus
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Chairperson of the African Union Commission Moussa Faki Mahamat has called for the urgent restoration of order, peace and stability in South Africa and the full respect for the ... Read more »
