Lessons from this year’s unrest

• Published date: 23 December 2021
• Publication title: Daily News

The socio-political unrest and violence were largely sparked by initial low-intensity and sporadic protests in parts of KZN against the arrest and imprisonment of former president Jacob Zuma

There has been wide-ranging debate across the country on whether the “Free Zuma” protests, looting and socio-political unrest was caused by the imprisonment of Zuma or not.

Political and social tensions, mostly in KZN and Gauteng, started to intensify when the former president started appearing before the Judicial Commission of Inquiry into Allegations of State Capture, Corruption and Fraud in the Public Sector, including Organs of State between July 15 and 19, 2019.

Zuma was summoned to appear before the commission between January 18 and 22, this year, but continuously expressed reluctance to appear before the commission, citing his treatment as an accused rather than as a witness, health concerns, and later, he unsuccessfully appealed for the recusal of the chairperson of the commission.

Even after the Constitutional Court passed a judgment on January 28, 2021 that compelled him to appear before the commission between February 15 and 19, 2021. Zuma continued to be defiant, stating that he was prepared to be arrested and incarcerated.

On June 29, 2021, the Constitutional Court sentenced Zuma to 15 months in prison on the grounds of him failing to comply with the court order to testify before the commission.

The court ordered Zuma to submit himself to the South African Police Service (SAPS) in Nkandla or at Johannesburg Central Police Station within five days, failure of which would result in his arrest.

Protesters gathered at Zuma’s homestead in Nkandla to protect him from being arrested. When Zuma handed himself over at Estcourt Correctional Service Centre in KZN on July 7, 2021, there were widespread violent protests, rioting and looting of shops and businesses, and destruction of public facilities and private property in parts of KZN. This spread to parts of Gauteng province from July 9 to 17, 2021.

While assessments to determine the extent of the damage that occurred during the nine days of protest and unrest are ongoing, it is clear that the effects have been tremendous in both scale and intensity.

The protests resulted in the loss of properties, business stock, employment, livelihoods, and essential services, such as medical and pharmaceutical supplies (in hospitals and clinics), farming, financial services facilities, telecommunication facilities, food...