Terrorism added to charges against 65 July 2021 unrest 'instigators': Lebeya

Hawks head Lt-Gen Godfrey Lebeya says a charge of terrorism has been added to the charges against 65 alleged instigators of the July 2021 unrest.

They are also charged with:

• conspiracy to commit public violence;
• incitement to commit public violence; and
• incitement to commit arson.

All the accused are on bail. The case is expected back in the Durban high court on April 8.

On Monday, Lebeya and his management outlined the progress made in the third quarter of the 2023/2024 financial year and took stock of milestones achieved since the previous quarter.

The devastating July 2021 riots claimed the lives of 350 people and cost the economy about R50bn.

Highlighting progress made so far in combatting crimes against the state, Lebeya said they had secured a sentence in one of the matters.

He said in July 2021, a video clip inciting people to burn and loot the Brookside Mall in Pietermaritzburg was circulated on WhatsApp social media platform.

“The mall was looted and burnt to the ground and the estimated damage caused by the looting and fire was about R500m,” he said.

After the Hawks initiated investigations, they identified the author of the video clip as 36-year-old Mdumiseni Khetha Zuma, who was arrested in KwaZulu-Natal on August 28 2021. His bail was denied.

Lebeya said on November 29 2023, the Pietermaritzburg regional court sentenced Zuma to an effective 12 years' imprisonment after his conviction on contravening the Riotous Assemblies Act. 

“Zuma was sentenced to 10 years' imprisonment for the first count, of which two years was suspended for five years on condition that he is not convicted of the same offence during the period of suspension.

“He was further sentenced to six years' imprisonment on the second count, of which two years is to run concurrently with the sentence on the first count. This results in the effective sentence of 12 years' direct imprisonment.”

The Hawks have secured the attendance in court of at least 724 suspects, he said, of which 229 were convicted and sentenced.   

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