Incarceration of Jacob Zuma: in the face of violence, Ramaphosa calls for calm and mobilizes the army
The township of Alexandra in Johannesburg was particularly affected by violence unleashed by supporters of Jacob Zuma on July 12, 2021. AP - Yeshiel Panchia
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Tensions are mounting in South Africa, which has been facing violence unleashed by pro-Zuma activists in Zulu country for four days.
The riots turned into a hunger revolt and spread to poor areas of large cities: looting, clashes with the police ... At least six people have died since Saturday.
President Cyril Ramaphosa spoke on national television this Monday, July 12, he calls for calm and mobilizes the army.
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The president's tone was serious and martial.
Cyril Ramaphosa describes
the violence of recent days
as the worst the country has seen since the 1990s.
The army was deployed on Monday in the provinces most affected by the mobilization.
It will be accompanied by all the defense and intelligence services to act in support of the police and "
restore order
".
A military council will meet twice a day in the presence of the president, until calm is restored.
On the causes of the revolt, he excluded any political motive, designating the perpetrators of the violence as opportunist instigators of chaos.
The South African president wanted to be very firm, insisting on zero tolerance applied to people who disturb public order.
Nearly 500 people have already been arrested and Cyril Ramaphosa has promised that the army will not hesitate to continue the arrests if necessary and that justice will deal with these cases as a priority.
Finally, he announced that he wanted to meet the various leaders of the political parties in order, he said, to collect their “
wisdom
” and to try with them to resolve the crisis.
►Also read: South Africa: the sentence of former President Zuma examined against a background of violence
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South Africa
Jacob Zuma
Cyril Ramaphosa