Fire, fear and fake news: the day anarchy took over Gauteng and KZN

President Cyril Ramaphosa on Monday evening vowed to restore calm and order in KwaZulu-Natal and Gauteng where riots sparked by the jailing of former president Jacob Zuma had mutated into pure criminality.

Ramaphosa warned the perpetrators they would face the “full might of the law”, mourned 10 lives lost in the violence and sent his best wishes to four police officers who were injured while trying to quell the clashes.

He said while the action started as a form of political protest it was now being used as a “cover for looting and theft”.

“Although these may be opportunistic acts of looting driven by hardship and poverty, the poor and marginalised bear the ultimate brunt of the destruction," said Ramaphosa.

The Covid-19 vaccine rollout had been severely disrupted and SA’s food security was also under threat.

“This means that our sick cannot get medication from pharmacies, food does not reach supermarket shelves and health workers cannot go to work.”

He said the government would use all its available resources and capabilities to restore order, including deploying the SA National Defence Force.

Below is a summary of the main events of the day.

A body lying in the street in Durban during #SHUTDOWNKZN riots. The violence has left at least six people dead. (Sandile Ndlovu)

A grim reality

Ramaphosa, in his address to the nation, sent condolences to ten families. "People have died. At this hour, there are several families in our country that are in mourning. I speak of the families of Nkosikhona Chiza, Ndumiso Shezi, Khaya Mkhize, Zethembe Ndwandwe, Lindani Bhengu and Lindokuhle Gumede in Gauteng. I speak of the families of Bhekani Ndlovu, Themba Mthembu, Aphiwe Gama and Cebo Dlamini in KwaZulu-Natal," said the president.
Four police officers were injured in the line of duty. "We extend our best wishes for a speedy recovery to the four SAPS members injured during this violence: Constable Sangweni, who was shot and injured in Alexandra; his two colleagues, Sergeant Maraheni and Lieutenant Colonel Nefolovhodwe, who were hit with bricks; and Constable Seloane, who was shot and injured in Daveyton," said Ramaphosa.
Reports by The Witness newspaper that a 15-year-old boy died after being shot with a rubber bullet during unrest at a Spar in Pietermaritzburg could not be confirmed. National Joint Operational and Intelligence Structure (NatJoints) spokesperson Col Brenda Muridili said 219 arrests were made in the two provinces — 96 in Gauteng and 123 in KZN.
Cabinet decided to deploy SA National Defence Force soldiers to KwaZulu-Natal and Gauteng: “The SANDF has commenced with pre-deployment processes and procedures in line with a request for assistance received from the NatJoints to assist law enforcement agencies deployed in Gauteng and KwaZulu-Natal to quell the unrest that has gripped both provinces in the last few days,” it said in a statement.

A police officer walks through a looted store in Vosloorus on July 12 2021. On Friday evening president Cyril Ramaphosa admitted that the country was poorly prepared to deal with the riots. (Alaister Russell/The Sunday Times)

The knock-on effects

Major roads were closed, Durban’s public transport system was not operating and funerals in the province were placed on hold.
Businesses across KwaZulu-Natal and Gauteng were looted, with rioters seen walking off with appliances such as TVs and washing machines, with trolleys filled to the brim. The Naledi shopping mall in Vosloorus, east of Johannesburg, was set alight. Westgate Mall on the West Rand was closed, as were several businesses in Tshwane. The Ndofaya Mall in Soweto was also targeted by looters.
Clinics and vaccination sites in Durban were closed on Monday, with Dis-Chem announcing that its pharmacies, vaccination sites and drive-through testing stations would be closed due to the riots.
The eThekwini municipality said it closed its clinics due to threats directed at health facilities in the city. “The ongoing civil unrest has also affected community vaccination sites which have been unable to operate today. The municipality will reassess the situation during the day and advise the public accordingly.”

Destruction and looting took place across KwaZulu-Natal last month. File image (Sandile Ndlovu)

Looting and vandalism has spread to Soweto. (Alon Skuy)

More than 30 private ambulance services in KwaZulu-Natal stopped operating to protect their vehicles from rampaging protesters on Monday. KwaZulu-Natal Private Ambulances Services secretary-general Mario Booysen said the decision came after a government ambulance was set alight on the N2 in the northern parts of the province on Sunday night.
Afrox operations that supply oxygen had no staff at some sites due to the unrest.
Bloomberg reported that Standard Bank, Africa’s biggest lender, shut its branches in Johannesburg.
The rand fell sharply after the SANDF announced its deployment, extending losses to trade down 2% against the US dollar by 12.30pm local time (10.30pm GMT). Analysts said the slump was also partly driven by fears over the economic impact of the Covid-19 pandemic.

A man caught looting inside a Cambridge food store in Vosloorus, east of Johannesburg, is arrested by a policeman. (Alaister Russell/The Sunday Times)

In quotes: Prominent South Africans respond

Duduzile Zuma-Sambudla, daughter of Jacob Zuma, in reaction to a warning to looters from President Cyril Ramaphosa: “How does our Proxy President for WMC tell us live that he is watching people’s Twitter accounts ... that is why we have no leadership in the country, ubusy neTwitter ... what a joke!!! Our people are hungry. Our people don’t have jobs. Go work and stop stalking people on Twitter ...”
In reaction to Duduzile's above tweets, Jessie Duarte, briefing the media after an ANC NEC meeting: “She [Duduzile] will have to answer. She is a member of the ANC and equal to every other member of the ANC. She will have to explain what her tweets mean. We are very concerned about Duduzile.”
Helen Zille, DA federal council chairperson, on how she would love to phone Zuma: “I will never forget that shortly after I had been suspended by my own party, during a time when I was almost completely shunned by people in the DA whose lives and careers I had helped build, it was [former] president Zuma who reached out to me. I was stunned into disbelief when he made contact with and urged me to ‘have courage’, and said he understood how difficult things must be for me.
“This conversation was one of the few times during that personal ordeal when the tears streamed down my face because this encounter was so counterintuitive. He did not have to reach out to me. He had nothing at all to gain from this. This act of personal kindness reflected who he was.
“If I had his phone number (and if he has a phone in his cell) I would reach out to him too and wish him strength and courage, as he did to me at my lowest ebb. Not because I think he has been wronged. He was accorded due process of law and must serve his sentence. But because I know Zuma, the person, not the politician.”

A number of buildings were set alight during unrest two weeks ago in Durban. On Friday three bodies were discovered in a burnt building in central Durban. File photo. (Sandile Ndlovu)

People flee after looting a Cambridge food store in Vosloorus, east of Johannesburg, earlier this week. (Alaister Russell/The Sunday Times)

Mervyn Abrahams, programme coordinator for the Pietermaritzburg Economic Justice Dignity Programme: “’SA has been sitting on a powder keg for some time. The rioting and looting is a prime way for many criminal elements to take advantage of the situation under the banner of Free Zuma whether they believe in it or not.”
Julius Malema, EFF leader, in reaction to the military being deployed: “No soldiers on our streets! Otherwise, we are joining. All fighters must be ready ... they won't kill us all. We need a political solution to a political problem, not soldiers.”
Carl Niehaus, MKMVA spokesperson, who has been suspended by the ANC: “What is happening is a vindication of what we warned would happen. We know there is a huge support base for Zuma, which was going to be very angry because of this and that is exactly what is happening. Unfortunately I find myself in a position where I can say to the national executive committee (NEC) of the ANC that we told you so. They must start taking responsibility.”

People flee after looting a Cambridge food store in Vosloorus, east of Johannesburg. (Alaister Russell/The Sunday Times)

Eyewitness accounts

An unidentified woman who witnessed a shooting and looting spree in Jeppestown, Johannesburg: “Eventually the police came and started shooting. One person who tried to run away, who wasn’t carrying anything out of the Shoprite, was shot in front of us. People who were protesting came back and reached out to the person to see if he was moving. We saw them [protesters] holding their heads and talking to the police. After 20 minutes the protesters covered the man with plastic bags and boxes and went back to Usave to continue looting alcohol. After they took all the alcohol, the Usave started burning.”
Lusanda Komanisi, a lightweight boxing champion, who got caught in the riots in his car, on his way home near Alexandra in Johannesburg, on Sunday evening: “Cars were in flames, taxis burning ... I tried to slow down because I didn’t know whether to go forward or turn back, because when I looked in my rear-view mirror they were setting cars on fire as well right behind me. I knew that it was bad. In my mind I wanted to stop the car and get out and leave it next to the road, but something said if I get out of the car, I might get into even more trouble, so I drove through the flames. They were throwing bricks, I could hear gunshots and people shouting: ‘Shaya, shaya [hit, hit]’. I was so scared, I was shaking and I was praying. There were big drums on the road blocking the cars. I drove through and got to the house, luckily.”

A policeman takes cellphone videos as residents loot from a Cambridge store in Vosloorus, east of Johannesburg. (Alaister Russell/The Sunday Times)

The July unrest and looting has caused untold hardship for workers trying to pick up the pieces. (SANDILE NDLOVU)

Fake news

The Jacob Zuma Foundation quashed speculation that former first lady Sizakele MaKhumalo Zuma has died. “Dear ALL, following media enquiries, the Foundation checked with the family and can confirm that the rumour about first lady MaKhumalo having passed on is devoid of truth. Long Live Mama Wesizwe,” the foundation tweeted.
eThekwini officials dismissed claims that city police officers were participating in widespread looting. This came after a video circulated on social media showing uniformed officers packing goods, including coolers boxes, into an official vehicle. The city said: “On preliminary investigation it was determined the officers were not looting, but rather confiscating goods from looters and recovering items abandoned by criminal elements who were looting.”
Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife debunked a social media post claiming that the fence around Hluhluwe Game Reserve in northern KwaZulu-Natal was pulled down by protesters. “Please note that the video being circulated purporting to show that the Hluhluwe iMfolozi Park’s fence has been destroyed is an old video. It was taken by Ezemvelo on May 12 2021, following a protest by the community of Biliya community,” said Ezemvelo spokesperson Musa Mntambo.

The Sunday Times reporters who contributed to the riot coverage are: Mawande Amashabalala, Paul Ash, Suthentira Govender, Nomahlubi Jordaan, Amanda Khoza, Ernest Mabuza, Kgothatso Madisa, Yasantha Naidoo, Nivashni Nair, Iavan Pijoos, Belinda Pheto and Shonisani Tshikalange.