In July, South Africa experienced an abrupt riot for almost a week. It was due to the imprisonment of the former president, Mr. Jacob Zuma. According to the state insurance company, the damage resulted in a loss of 1.7 billion dollars.
In the same condition, 300 people lost their lives while almost 200 shopping centers got distracted in Gauteng and Natal regions. Rioters were harsh, they went ahead to ransack shops in these two regions. Most of them stole packages of groceries, electric appliances, liquor, and clothes. Some warehouses and factories were also affected. Some villagers went ahead burning one large warehouse located in the city of Kwazulu Natal.
Furthermore, some long-distance tracks were burnt down. There were no straight highways to fetch goods from the ocean. Also, inlet and outlet of goods and services stopped for some time. perishable vegetables and fruits went bad.
The major blow is on Sasria, an insurance company that has to deal with the losses. It’s a government company that insures against riots, public disorders, and terrorism. A company spokesman said that they are facing a difficult moment recovering from all the damage. He went ahead and asked the current president, Mr. Cyril Ramaphosa, to fund their company to cover the suffering parties. Both individuals and businesses that were affected have to receive a some funds.
In the last 10 years, the South African riots were among the world’s most expensive uproar ever. It was much higher than the George Floyd riots that occurred in the US. Black Lives Matter cost only $1.5. The Sasria send their executive to parliament, who released the current report on Wednesday.
Let’s now get back to what caused the riots. The former president Mr. Zuma had refused to comply with the constitution. He was against constitutional court orders over some corruption matters. From 2009 to 2018, there had been rumors about his leadership scandals, but during this year, the South African decided to file a case against him. He was arrested for defiling the court. While in power, he was very defensive over the corruption investigation. It wasn’t until his term expired that investigators started their work.
The court found him guilty of receiving bribes. There was a case where French arms manufacturer Thales had an issue. It was said that he received some cash over buying the arms. Currently, the defense team and state lawyers have postponed the purchase of those arms until September 20.
According to the Judge, Mr. Zuma has to face a 15 months imprisonment term. This is the third month in prison, but he has been sick over the past few weeks, hence being hospitalized. Most of the time, he usually sits in a medical wing due to changes in the environment. After getting well, Zuma will go back to Estcourt Correctional Center, where he has to spend another 12 months before he is set as a free man.
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