WATCH: Communist Protesters Burn Entire Mall...
Rioting triggered by the imprisonment of former South African President Jacob Zuma escalated Monday as shopping malls in Johannesburg were looted, major roads were blocked by burning tires and the police and military struggled to contain the violence.
President Cyril Ramaphosa, in a somber address broadcast to the nation Monday night, vowed that the police and army would restore order, and he appealed to all South Africans to work together for peace.
The unrest started last week in KwaZulu-Natal province after Zuma was imprisoned for contempt of court. What began as fairly small-scale blocking of roads in Zuma’s home area intensified and spread to Gauteng, South Africa’s most populous province, including Johannesburg, the country’s largest city.
The South African National Defence Force has been deployed to help the police. At least 10 people have been killed and more than 490 arrested “in acts of public violence rarely seen in the history of our democracy,” Ramaphosa said.
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— Ian Cameron (@IanCameron23) July 13, 2021
#SouthAfricaIsBurning #ShutdownSA pic.twitter.com/yShOSOgzYn