South Africa will deploy soldiers to quell violence that erupted in the wake of former president Jacob Zuma’s jailing.
The military said on Monday, after days of riots and looting left at least six people dead.
Disturbances worsened as Zuma challenged his 15-month prison term in the country’s top court after weekend unrest by pro-Zuma protesters in his home province of KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) and Gauteng, where the country’s largest city Johannesburg is located.
Police said 219 arrests had been made, as opportunistic criminals appeared to take advantage of the anger some feel over Zuma’s incarceration to steal and cause destruction.
Any confrontation with soldiers risks fuelling claims by Zuma and his supporters that they are victims of a politically-motivated crackdown by his successor, President Cyril Ramaphosa.
The rand fell sharply after the military announced its deployment, extending losses to trade down 2% against the U.S. dollar by 12.30 p.m. local time (1030 GMT). Analysts said, however, that the slump was also partly driven by fears over the economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Zuma, 79, was sentenced late last month for defying a constitutional court order to give evidence at an inquiry investigating high-level corruption during his nine years in office until 2018.
The decision to jail him resulted from legal proceedings seen as a test of post-apartheid South Africa’s ability to enforce the rule of law, including against powerful politicians.
“The South African National Defence Force has commenced with pre-deployment processes…to assist law enforcement agencies deployed in Gauteng and KwaZulu-Natal provinces…to quell the unrest that has gripped both in the last few days,” the military said in a statement.
“The duration (of the deployment) and number of deploying soldiers will be determined based on the assessment of the situation on the ground,” it added.
In a virtual hearing, Zuma’s counsel asked the constitutional court on Monday to rescind his jail term, citing a rule that judgments can be reconsidered if made in the absence of the affected person or containing a patent error.
Legal experts say Zuma’s chances of success are slim.
Reuters