The 2021 South African unrest, also known as the July 2021 riots, the Zuma unrest or Zuma riots, was a wave of civil unrest that occurred in South Africa's KwaZulu-Natal and Gauteng provinces from 9 to 18 July 2021, sparked by the imprisonment of former President Jacob Zuma for contempt of court. Resulting protests against the incarceration triggered wider rioting and looting, much of it said to be undertaken by people not in support of Zuma and fuelled by job layoffs and economic inequality worsened by the COVID-19 pandemic policies. The unrest began in the province of KwaZulu-Natal on the evening of 9 July, and spread to the province of Gauteng on the evening of 11 July, and was the worst episode of violence the country experienced since the end of Apartheid.
Zuma was taken into custody after declining to testify at the Zondo Commission, an inquiry into allegations of corruption during his term as president from 2009 to 2018. The Constitutional Court reserved judgment on Zuma's application to rescind his sentence on 12 July 2021. The South African government reported that 354 people had died in the riots. As of 12 August 2022, 5,500 people had been arrested, in connection with the unrest.
Background
Economy
More than half of South Africa's population lives in poverty, with an unemployment rate of 32%. According to the World Bank, income inequality has increased since 1994 in South Africa, rendering it the most unequal country in the world.
Jacob Zuma's legal battle
Former South African president Jacob Zuma was charged with corruption in March 2018, in connection with the South African Arms Deal, known as the "Strategic Defence Package" worth R30 billion (equal to US$2.5 billion or £2 billion). The legal battle has continued since, with Zuma's legal team attempting to have the charges dismissed and appealing for more time to prepare. During the trial proceedings, Zuma was repeatedly absent from the court, citing medical reasons and lack of funds.
Imprisonment of Jacob Zuma
On 29 June 2021, Zuma was sentenced to 15 months in prison for contempt of court, after he refused to appear at a commission his government appointed to investigate alleged corruption during his time in office, and engaged in what the judges characterised as a "politically motivated smear campaign" against the country's judiciary. The case ultimately proceeded to the Constitutional Court. He was given until the end of 4 July to hand himself in, after which the South African Police Service would be obliged to arrest him. On 3 July, the court agreed to hear his application on 12 July. If Zuma refused to surrender by 4 July, the police were given until 7 July to arrest him. Supporters had gathered near his home with weapons to prevent his arrest but he handed himself over to the police on 7 July, and was jailed at the Estcourt Correctional Centre.
On 8 July 2021, the Minister of Justice and Correctional Services Ronald Lamola announced that Zuma would be eligible for parole upon serving a quarter of his 15-month sentence. Zuma challenged his detention on 9 July in the Pietermaritzburg High Court on the grounds of health but this was rejected. His imprisonment led to violent protests by his supporters in KwaZulu-Natal, which quickly developed into widespread looting in KwaZulu-Natal and Gauteng.
Civil disorder
"According to the Minister of Police, the planned violence was intended to make the entire country ungovernable, but it had gained the most traction in the KwaZulu-Natal and Gauteng provinces, which had significant numbers of outspoken individuals and groups opposing the sentencing and incarceration of former President Zuma."
Riots and looting
On 9 July 2021, the same day Pietermaritzburg High Court upheld his conviction and prison sentence, the unrest began. Public violence, burglary, and malicious damage to property were reported in parts of KwaZulu-Natal, with at least 28 people being arrested and a highway being blocked. The riots continued on the evening of 11 July, when multiple news sources indicated reports of gunshots and explosions heard at local malls and residential areas.
The violence quickly escalated, and by the morning of 12 July, multiple companies and malls were forced to close following widespread looting and violence. An incident occurred at Southgate Spar, a supermarket near a township in Pietermaritzburg, as an unnamed 15-year-old boy was shot in the chest with a rubber bullet fired by police in the midst of the unrest and later succumbed to his wounds. The incident played a part in escalating the unrest.
354 people died due to the unrest according to the South African government, while 5,500 were arrested by 12 August 2022. In KwaZula-Natal, 2,763 people had been arrested by 24 July 2021.
Racial tensions
In the Indian-majority township of Phoenix, KwaZulu-Natal, some of the residents had armed themselves to fight off looters, due to the absence of police forces. This in turn stoked racial tensions between black and Indian South African citizens, with several racially motivated attacks reported to have taken place. India's Minister of External Affairs S. Jaishankar raised the issue of the safety of people of Indian origin with the South African Minister of International Relations and Cooperation Naledi Pandor, who assured him that the government was trying its best to restore law and order.
Police Minister Bheki Cele stated that the main motive behind the Phoenix riots was criminal and that racial issues were secondary. He confirmed that 20 people had died in the town in the unrest. He also warned people against falling for fake news designed to increase racial tensions. An investigation by the Daily Maverick newspaper found that vigilantes in Phoenix and surrounding areas had targeted suspected looters and even ordinary civilians, committing brutal acts on them. Then-KwaZulu-Natal Premier Sihle Zikalala stated that 38 people had been killed by vigilantes in Phoenix, Inanda and Verulam. Racial tensions in the area, it was discovered, were stoked by false rumours of a massacre of between 350 and 500 black people, allegedly by Indians in Phoenix. The newspaper also reported that some incidents of murders of both black people and Indians under investigation were believed by the police to have credible evidence of racial motivations. These incidents of violence were linked by some commentators to memories of the Durban riots in 1949.
On 3 August, Cele stated that the rioting in Phoenix did have a partially racial nature. He explained that on 12 July, some residents had set up roadblocks and started patrolling the streets after rioting in Durban. Some of the vigilantes had started racially profiling people, mainly black people, and restricting their entry. When one truck containing looted items was stopped, the four occupants, who were black citizens, fired at the vigilantes, who shot back and killed one of them. Cele stated that the police believes this led to further violence between the different communities. Many vehicles were stopped and looted at the roadblocks, while the passengers were also assaulted.
Incidents of xenophobic attacks targeting foreign truck drivers and foreigners were also reported during the unrest.
Incitement
Police Minister Bheki Cele stated that the security cluster was looking at ten to twelve people who were fueling the riots through social media. According to State Security Minister Ayanda Dlodlo, they are investigating information as to whether senior former agents in the intelligence agency and senior ANC members aligned to former president Jacob Zuma are responsible for igniting the recent violence in KwaZulu-Natal and Gauteng.
Jacob Zuma's daughter, Duduzile Zuma-Sambudla, is allegedly among those who encouraged the looting and violence in order to secure the release of her father as an unverified Twitter account under her name encouraged people to protest.
In November 2021 the expert panel into the July 2021 civil unrest concluded that the riots were at least to some extent organized rather than spontaneous:
"The submissions we received point to elements of organisation behind the looting of the malls, combined with opportunistic looting. [...]. It is clear that the planners wanted the looting to look like they were spontaneous; a phenomenon that we have coined 'organised spontaneity'."
State response
Initially, the South African Police Service (SAPS) was deployed in the Nkandla district to control the number of protests in the area.
Over the weekend, as the South African Police Service (SAPS) battled to contain the large-scale looting and damage to infrastructure, pressure mounted on government to deploy the army.
On the morning of Monday, 12 July 2021, the South African National Defence Force (SANDF) was deployed in Gauteng and KwaZulu-Natal, as part of Operation Prosper.
On 12 July 2021, president Cyril Ramaphosa addressed the riots, saying that the acts of public violence have been "rarely seen" in democratic South Africa. Ramaphosa referred to the riots as opportunistic acts of violence, citing the lack of grievance, nor any political cause, that can justify the destruction by the protestors. He highlighted the Constitution of South Africa, which guarantees the rights of everyone to express themselves, but stated that the victims of the violence unfolding are the workers, truck drivers, business owners, and the parents of those who have died and have all done nothing wrong. He went on to discuss the impact of the riots on the COVID-19 vaccine rollout, stating that it has been drastically disrupted after prior setbacks. He also noted how the economy of the country would face further challenges due to food and medication insecurity resulting from the riots. The deployment of SANDF to assist with ending the unrest was also discussed by him.
On the same day, the Constitutional Court of South Africa reserved its previous judgment and rejected Zuma's bid to rescind his prison sentence. As a result of the decision, Zuma is required to remain imprisoned.
On 14 July 2021, the Minister of Defence and Military Veterans Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula said that the SANDF had increased the deployed number of troops to 25,000.
Following the unrest, President Ramaphosa announced on 18 July that the government would explore introducing a basic income grant.
Public response
As a result of the state response failing to quell the unrest, private security companies, taxi drivers, armed civilians and vigilante groups had taken on law enforcement duties by protecting businesses and communities from rioting and looting. Petrol stations, shopping malls, supermarkets and communication infrastructure were guarded by some members of the public, often with the support of business owners and corporations. Vigilante groups protecting suburbs and businesses worked in an organised manner to arrest looters and to hand them over to authorities, albeit in an often violent manner.
Impact
Effects on logistical networks
Roads
Road closures on both the N3 and N2 have affected the transportation of goods from the east coast into provinces in the north. This affects the transportation of goods to landlocked countries in Africa including Botswana, Zimbabwe and Zambia.
Multiple logistics and fuel companies declared forced temporary closure of their operations in KZN, citing fears of continued looting, hijackings, truck burnings, and social unrest that could further impact business operations, adding to more costs sustained from the looting and damage to property. During the riots there were reports of xenophobic attacks targeting foreign truck drivers along the N3.
The unrest coincided with the worst of the violence during the 2021 Cape Town taxi conflict which was believed to be unrelated to the events in KwaZulu-Natal and Gauteng.
Container ports
The container ports of Richards Bay and Durban ceased operations. Containers in the port of Durban were plundered. After several attacks on trucks, the N3 Highway, which links port Durban with Johannesburg, was closed on 10 July.
The unrest coincided with the Transnet ransomware attack that also contributed to shutting down the Durban container port. The ransomware attack is believed to have been unrelated to the unrest.
Rail
State-owned logistics operator Transnet declared force majeure on 14 July on a rail line linking Johannesburg to the coast.