Page 30 - bon-dia-aruba-20210716

A30 world news
Diabierna 16 Juli 2021
25,000 troops deployed to quell South Africa riots, 117 dead

(AP) — In one of the larg- it is the Indian community
est deployments of soldiers “The arson, the looting and and the neighboring com-
since the end of white mi- then the burning of malls, munities, who are African,”
nority rule, 25,000 South the burning of warehouses, Cele told a news conference
African troops began tak- I mean, that indicates a really in Phoenix, where he said 15
ing up positions Thurs- strategic destruction of the people had been killed.
day to help quell week- economy of KwaZulu-Na-
long riots sparked by the tal,” said Gumede. “There’s Gumede said the way for-
imprisonment of former a whole lot of organization ward for South Africa is to
President Jacob Zuma. At behind that.” prosecute the perpetrators,
least 117 people have been both those that stole property
killed in the violence, au- Soldiers and police worked and those who may have in-
thorities said. to reopen the N2 and N3 toll stigated the violence.
highways, which have been
The government said 10,000 closed for days as burned- “This is going to be very im-
soldiers were on the streets out trucks blocked the roads. portant,” the analyst said.
by Thursday morning patrol-
ling alongside police, and the
South African National De-
fence Force had also called
up all of its reserve force of
12,000 troops.

In a show of strength, a con-
voy of more than a dozen
armored personnel carri-
ers brought soldiers into
Gauteng province, South Af-
rica’s most populous, which
includes the largest city, Jo-
hannesburg, and the capital,
Pretoria.

Buses, trucks, airplanes and
helicopters were also being
used to move the large de-
ployment of troops to trouble
spots in Gauteng and Kwa-
Zulu-Natal province that
have seen violence in mainly
poor areas.
ed and 11 others are under ing after being hit by arson The highways are important “First to restore the rule of
The unrest erupted last week surveillance for inciting and attacks. transport routes carrying law in South Africa and to
after Zuma began serving a planning the unrest, she said. fuel, food and other goods prevent impunity, because
15-month sentence for con- Police discovered more than to all parts of the country if people can get away with
tempt of court for refusing The armed patrols have 10,000 rounds of ammuni- and their prolonged closure looting without being pros-
to comply with a court order brought stability to Gauteng, tion in Durban on Wednes- threatens to cause shortages ecuted, they will do it again.
to testify at a state-backed authorities said. Army troops day night, which Minister of of essential goods. ... So it’s going to be very im-
inquiry investigating allega- stood guard at the large Ma- Police Bheki Cele said be- portant. I think we may have
tions of corruption while he ponya mall in Soweto, which longed to people who were The rail line to the strategic to set up special courts.”
was president from 2009 to was one of the few retail cen- instigating the violent riots in Indian Ocean ports of Dur-
2018. ters not badly hit by the ram- the province. ban and Richard’s Bay was In neighboring Zimbabwe,
page but remained closed. also closed by the unrest, the the police issued a warning
Protests in Gauteng and The continued violence in state-owned transportation Thursday against people get-
KwaZulu-Natal quickly es- Volunteer groups cleaned up KwaZulu-Natal appears company, Transnet said. The ting goods stolen from South
calated into a spree of theft shattered glass and debris well-planned, said South 688-kilometer (427-mile) rail Africa.
in township areas, although from shops that had been African analyst William Gu- line ferries hundreds of tons
it has not spread to South Af- stormed and looted in Johan- mede. of goods weekly to the ports, “With sad events happening
rica’s seven other provinces, nesburg’s Soweto, Alexandra including vehicles, gold ore, in South Africa, the Zim-
where police are on alert. and Vosloorus areas. “In KwaZulu-Natal, it’s aviation fuel, petrol, wheat babwe Republic Police will
well-coordinated, well-fund- and citrus fruit. The goods not hesitate to arrest anyone
More than 2,200 people have “I spoke to some of the guys ed. If you look at it, strate- are then shipped to mar- who has received or is in
been arrested for theft and who are unemployed in my gic commercial hubs were kets in Asia, Europe, and the possession of stolen goods
vandalism and 117 people area to come and help. The blocked, strategic roads were United States. from South Africa,” the po-
have died, Khumbudzo Nt- mayor supported us with blocked at really key points. lice statement said, advising
shavheni, acting minister in transport to get here. We It was very organized,” said Security forces increased people to have receipts for
the presidency said Thursday. came here with two buses,” Gumede, chairman of the their presence in the Durban verification that goods were
Many were trampled to death said George Moswetsa, a res- Democracy Works Founda- suburb of Phoenix, where the purchased legally. “A criminal
in chaotic stampedes when ident of Vosloorus in eastern tion, a group supporting gov- riots caused racial tensions in South Africa is a criminal
shops were being looted, ac- Johannesburg who was help- ernance in Africa. to flare. The predominantly in Zimbabwe.”
cording to police. ing to clean up a mall that had Indian residents of Phoenix
been trashed. Zuma, throughout his po- had been patrolling their area The largest deployment of
“These are not demonstra- litical career, including his against the unrest and are ac- soldiers since South Africa
tions. This is economic sabo- The unrest, however, contin- nine years as president, ac- cused of shooting Black peo- won democracy in 1994 was
tage and we are investigating ued Thursday in KwaZulu- quired many allies in South ple suspected of being rioters. in March 2020, when 70,000
with a view to apprehending Natal, Zuma’s home prov- Africa’s military and security army troops were sent out to
the instigators,” Ntshavheni ince. There were renewed services who were reluctant “Lives have been lost. The enforce the country’s strict
said at a briefing Thursday. attacks on shopping centers to respond to the violence in communities have a standoff lockdown to combat the
One person has been arrest- and several factories and his home province, Gumede and are in a bad way because spread of COVID-19.
warehouses were smolder- said.