6 dead in violent protests
In the wake of violence that trailed demonstrations protesting Jacob Zuma’s arrest in Pretoria, troops have been deployed to quell the skirmish that has resulted in the death of six people.
The demonstrations sparked by the detention of former President Jacob Zuma have also been an avenue to protest massive unemployment and economic malaise caused by COVID-19 lockdowns.
South African President Cyril Ramaphosa said in a national address Monday evening that the protests would soon lead to shortages in food and medicine if they didn’t stop, and had already interrupted the country’s vaccination programme at a time the government is attempting to ramp up the pace of shots.
The South African military announced on Monday that it would begin deploying troops on the streets of several major cities, including the legislative capital of Johannesburg and the KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) cities of Pietermaritzburg and Durban, after mass protests brought fires, looting, and several deaths from gunshot wounds.
“The South African National Defence Force has commenced with pre-deployment processes and procedures in line with a request for assistance received… to assist law enforcement agencies deployed in Gauteng and KwaZulu-Natal provinces respectively to quell the unrest that has gripped both Provinces in the last few days,” the military said in a statement obtained by AFP.
The size and duration of the deployment will be determined “according to the assessment of the situation on the ground by the police,” the statement adds, noting their missions will be “to provide security and a safe working environment for law enforcement agencies” to do their job.
