Riots have swept South Africa recently because of the jailing of President Zuma. Zuma was convicted of contempt of court last month during a case that was examining corruption during his presidency. Zuma, who is 79 years old, has a lot of support throughout the country. Last Wednesday, he began his 15-month prison sentence.
Riots from Zuma supporters have been plentiful throughout South Africa. These riots have been deadly, as 72 people have died from the outbreaks.
Details of the Riots in South Africa
The death toll of 72 has been cumulative between multiple riots in South Africa. Crowds have been looting stores and taking over shopping centers in South Africa. On Tuesday, the riots took a turn for the worse as citizens have begun battling police officers.
There was a building set on fire in Durban, and the BBC recorded a baby being thrown from the rooftop. This was the only option to save the child with the fires on the ground level. An additional riot killed ten people on Monday when a stampede ensued at a shopping center in Soweto.
President Cyril Ramaphosa has deployed the military to support the police and deescalate the violence. The police have taken 12 people into custody for starting the riots. Additionally, police arrested 1,234 people for engaging in the riots.
The war zone in the country has been compared to the violence in South Africa during the 1990s before the end of apartheid. In the nineties, highways were blocked, and looting happened in cities and small towns in South Africa. It does not appear that the riots are stopping anytime soon in the country, so these battles could become more debilitating for the country.
Citizens have been warned that there will not be enough food to feed the nation if the looting continues. Although, President Ramaphosa has said that there is no need for a state of emergency at this time.
The Current Damage
A crowd of people caught the baby that was thrown off the roof. After the baby was thrown, rescue teams flooded the building with ladders to save the people. The mother and baby were reunited after 20 minutes, but she did not give any comments to the media.
The fire was started by people looting stores below the building. There have been more than 200 malls robbed in South Africa riots. Many people are causing trouble to show support for Zuma. Although, numerous people are looking to cause trouble.
Most of the looting has occurred in Soweto, which is the largest township in the nation. It’s also the former home of Nelson Mandela. Citizens have destroyed ATMs, stolen food from restaurants, package stores, and clothing stores.
The military members have helped the police combat the situation and capture rioters. Yet, law enforcement is still the minority compared to the number of looters in the nation. Rioters in the farmland have also been devastating, stealing animals from farmers.
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