News from South Africa – 15 July, 2021
We are asked to believe that the rioting in South Africa started because of the supporters of ex-president, Jacob Zuma came out on the street and this turned to spontaneous rioting.
Word is that there is nothing spontaneous about what is happening but that there is something much deeper behind this. In this context, the commentary from Indian TV is interesting.
The following video was posted by Hal Turner.
Astonishing video is out showing a South African government official telling Blacks to go into Indian and White neighborhoods, Kill them and burn their houses down.
Today, Thursday July 15, 2021, is Day 4 of the societal collapse in South Africa. It began as a protest over the weekend over the jailing of former President Zuma, who was held in Contempt of Court for refusing to turn over evidence in a corruption trial.
Within hours, the “protest” turned into rioting, then looting. Literally thousands of businesses in the city of Durban were looted bare, and when there was nothing left to steal, many were set on fire.
As the looting parties grew, the attacks moved out into the suburbs – the Indian and White suburbs. Houses were broken into, families robbed, some beaten, some raped, some killed. Then the houses were set on fire.
Astonishing videos and photos of the ONGOING carnage appear in stories HERE and HERE.
Turns out, it was all PLANNED.
Video below shows a South African government official, speaking with a PA system to a group of Black folks, telling them to “go into Indian neighborhoods, KILL THEM and burn their houses.” He then tells them, “Then go into White neighborhoods, Kill them and burn their houses.”
Every time this video is posted to social media, the big tech censors take it down. They don’t want the world to see the racist hatred of Blacks against Indians and Whites. They want to frame the issue as one of the poverty-stricken, desperate for food, doing what they must to survive; which is all a fallacy.
It seems to me that much more context is needed.
Who is the “politician” and who does he represent? What else did he say that might provide more context?
In the meantime, here is some comment from social media.
It’s sad. Im South African, all my family is there. There is major food shortages and its going to be worse now with the looting. There is full on civil war as the police refuse to help the citizens protect their property or shops. Citizens have taken up arms and are shooting and protecting themselves. Residents have started groups to barter with each to make sure everyone is okay.
They have burnt down thousands of hectares of food and farmland, the burnt down the main food supply mills in the country, the looted and damaged the harbours, all the grocery stores and even burnt many of them down. Any truck bringing food or fuel is burnt down.
They are specifically targeting food supply’s.
Media is only telling what they want the world to know. This is not about Zuma, this goes way deeper. And all of this has been well planned and orchestrated.
****
Sparked originally by the arrest of former president Jacob Zuma, the actions seem highly coordinated, with troops of 20-25 disciplined and aggressive attackers creating the breach and then inviting opportunistic bystanders to loot.
Who is behind it and what agenda it serves will become clearer in the coming days.
The only thing I can tell you for sure is “nothing is what it appears to be”..
The great and almost unexpected revelation is the spirit of civil togetherness that has stood up against this mayhem:
Not only are armed citizens and private security companies stepping up and guarding their neighbourhoods and shops (so far attacks were concentrated on shopping malls, super markets, trucks, but also ware houses, but not private residences)
Most amazingly the minibus taxi associations, often scorned for their ruthless driving habits, have started to go from house to house and collecting stolen goods and bringing them back to the nearest police station.
There is a lesson of hope in this breakdown of public order (without wanting to belittle the losses and suffering of many who’s business went up in flames or who suffered injury or death) and the astonishing ability of our diverse society to self organise and stand together.
There will be disruptions of course: 1/3 of SA refinery capacity are closed down. The most important harbour in Durban has suffered severe damage. The major Highway N3 from Durban up to Gauteng (Johannesburg and Pretoria) is still closed but we will overcome these obstacles.
I will write more about this as the picture becomes clearer.
At least we are fully able to operate..
Greetings from
Friederike, Georg and the Team
***
“IT’S A WAR ZONE” – SOUTH AFRICA TO DEPLOY 25,000 TROOPS AS COUNTRY ON BRINK OF CIVIL WAR
In the coming hours, if not days, the military presence in KwaZulu-Natal should dramatically increase to thwart further spreading of looting and violence.
* * *
Update (1121ET): AFP reports deaths in South Africa’s week-long social unrest have risen to 117. A sharp rise over Wednesday’s 72 figure. With unrest still present, the number is likely headed up.
* * *
Update (1034 ET): Local newspaper “Daily Maverick” warns parts of South Africa “are on the brink of severe fuel and food shortages, with key supply routes” severed due to social unrest.
Since the riots began last week, following former president Jacob Zuma’s imprisonment for contempt of court, dozens of goods trucks have been targeted by roving crowds, stripped of their cargo, and more often than not torched or dismantled for parts.
The Road Freight Association warned that the damage to trucks as well as lost income could run into billions of rands, while ongoing delays could result in shelves in shops and shopping centres standing empty.
“Depending on the category of vehicle, the type and value of cargo, and the specialised equipment required for the cargo, this can be anywhere between R3-million and R10-million per vehicle,” said the association’s chief executive, Gavin Kelly. “A simple calculation of capital losses of the 40 trucks destroyed to date amounts to between R250-million and R300-million.”
A number of operators confirmed that the N2 and N3 highways remained closed to them by rioters, with burning tyres and debris strewn across the roads to prevent vehicles from passing.
“There will be shortages,” Kelly warned. “The looting and destruction of retail points, from small businesses to large malls, from regional to national distribution centres and warehouses, will force closures.”
The Consumer Goods Council of South Africa also warned of food shortages, saying up to 800 retail stores had to date lost an estimated R5-billion.
“The disruption to and closure of key transport routes can potentially affect the supply chain of retail products, which could in turn create shortages of basic commodities throughout the country,” it said.
The crowds have also targeted manufacturing sites, forcing oil refineries that refine crude to petrol to shutter operations. Inland provinces get most of their fuel trucked in from the coast. On Wednesday morning, long queues formed at a number of petrol stations in Johannesburg as consumers looked to fill up before supplies ran dry. -Daily Maverick
What comes next could be a terrible humanitarian crisis.
* * *
In the past seven days, South Africa has never come closer to becoming a failed state. The riotous looting has reduced Gauteng and KwaZulu-Natal, the two provinces hit hard by the social unrest into what resembles warzones. The country quickly descended into what could be the beginning innings of a civil war, prompting the government to call up military reserves and seek deployment of up to 25,000 troops to quell the violence.
“It is a war zone . . . towns deserted, shops looted, bodies lying on the road,” John Steenhuisen, leader of the main opposition Democratic Alliance, in the province, told Financial Times. “We have an internal African National Congress battle that has spilled over on to the streets of KwaZulu-Natal . . . the initiative has been completely lost by the security services. They need urgent reinforcement.”
Gauteng and KwaZulu-Natal have been overwhelmed by black rioters, many of whom are supporters of former President Jacob Zuma, who was arrested earlier this month and sentenced to prison for corruption charges.
The arrest of Zuma sparked black unrest across the country, more specifically in the two provinces mentioned above.
President Cyril Ramaphosa has been unable to stifle the social unrest as local police and military troops have been outnumbered. The nation remains totally lawless.
Defence Minister Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula told parliament Thursday she had “submitted a request for deployment of plus-minus 25,000” soldiers. There was no word on when the additional troops would hit the streets.
Readers may recall, Wednesday evening, we reported South African Army Reserve has ordered “all Reserve Members” for duty on Thursday morning. There were no exact figures on how many reserves would be deployed.
So far, more than 70 people have died in the mayhem and more than one thousand arrested. The nation’s supply chains have collapsed as major oil refiners shuttered, ports closed, infrastructure damaged, and warehouses looted.
Some figures estimate 45,000 businesses in Durban, a coastal city in KwaZulu-Natal, have been destroyed. This has resulted in gun stores, grocery stores, pharmacies, and shopping malls either being entirely looted or ran out of supplies as massive shortages begin.
“With no help in sight, racial minorities such as whites and Indians are taking up arms to defend their homes and families,” said National Justice.
Johannesburg resident Nhlanhla Lux told FT he defended local businesses with a handful of police and soldiers on Wednesday.
“We can’t sit back while the township economy dilapidates further,” said Lux. “The biggest mall, that employs the biggest number of people, is the one left standing. If it falls, it’s the last elephant.”
For Lux, he is prepared to die” to halt the unrest, he said. “We are on the verge of eating each other.”
The Saker Blog’s Chris Faure asks several important questions:
So, is it a civil war, a coup d’état, or instigation toward a Rwanda-type situation? Or, simply the poor eating the rich? The major question is why did the state security apparatus not see this coming? Or did they? And further, where is the state of emergency? Where is the tear gas to disperse crowds? Where is the sound cannon and where is the water cannon? Why are the crowds not being dispersed? At this moment, it could be a first force, a second force or a third force, some combination or some weird conflation, in charge of the lawlessness.
According to the “Unrest Map” via PolicyLab, the unrest is beginning to fizzle out in Gauteng and KwaZulu-Natal. The concerns are if riots spread to other provinces.
The government is preparing to reduce further riots by activating thousands of more troops and reserves. The rand strengthened against the dollar for the second day on this positive news.
However, emerging from the smoke is a nation that could be close to civil war, the economy destroyed, supply chains crippled, ports closed, infrastructure ablaze, and there’s no telling on how long it would take to rebuild.
Here are more visuals of South Africa’s chaos.
Residents of towns are setting up checkpoints since police and military are non-existent.
The reality in Durban today. Long lines for basic essentials since shortages of ammo, food, and fuel begin. Next, humanitarian crisis?
Huge lines for food as supply chains crippled. People are beginning to starve. No one was prepared.
Images of last night’s looting in KwaZulu-Natal.
More people in line waiting for food.
South Africa descended into chaos on Friday after protests ignited by the jailing of former President Jacob Zuma over skipping a corruption probe transformed into what has become the worst turmoil in the country in years.
A man in a police jacket has been caught red-handed by an angry mob in South Africa beside his car, packed with what appears to be looted goods, as the nation is hit by major unrest due to former President Jacob Zuma’s imprisonment, in addition to massive unemployment and a weak economy amid the coronavirus pandemic.
In a video of the incident, uploaded on Twitter, a variety of household supplies can be seen in the boot and interior of the vehicle, ranging from bread and cooking oil to rolls of toilet paper.
Another video, shared by the same user, shows a second man, allegedly a cop in plain clothes, outside of his vehicle as the crowd took out the goods he had allegedly looted, including a TV set.
Shops in several cities across South Africa have been pillaged and set ablaze as the turmoil in the country continues to rage on, spreading to more provinces, including Mpumalanga and Northern Cape, according to the police.
Looting was also reported in the township of Soweto and the port city of Durban, prompting local vigilantes, disappointed by the government’s inaction, to take up arms to prevent further pillaging.
Horrifying scenes of the damage caused by the ransacking have been shared online by users from various South African cities.
The African nation was hit by protests last Friday following the imprisonment of former President Jacob Zuma, who turned himself in on Wednesday to serve a 15-month sentence over contempt of court after skipping a corruption trial.
The protests quickly turned violent and ignited a massive tumult in the country, exacerbated by ongoing economic woes and unemployment stemming from the coronavirus pandemic.
The ensuing chaos and looting cost at least 72 people their lives, according to South African police.
“It’s A War Zone” – South Africa To Deploy 25,000 Troops As Country On Brink Of Civil War
Update (1438ET): The alleged video shows a convoy of “army vehicles” moving towards Durban, a coastal city in the eastern part of South Africa. The city is located in the KwaZulu-Natal province, one of the hardest-hit regions by the weeklong social unrest.
So far, thousands of South African Army Reserve members have been called up to report for duty Thursday morning. There’s been a push by the government to deploy up to 25,000 active-duty troops to quell the unrest.
In the coming hours, if not days, the military presence in KwaZulu-Natal should dramatically increase to thwart further spreading of looting and violence.
* * *
Update (1121ET): AFP reports deaths in South Africa’s week-long social unrest have risen to 117. A sharp rise over Wednesday’s 72 figure. With unrest still present, the number is likely headed up.
* * *
Update (1034 ET): Local newspaper “Daily Maverick” warns parts of South Africa “are on the brink of severe fuel and food shortages, with key supply routes” severed due to social unrest.
Since the riots began last week, following former president Jacob Zuma’s imprisonment for contempt of court, dozens of goods trucks have been targeted by roving crowds, stripped of their cargo, and more often than not torched or dismantled for parts.
The Road Freight Association warned that the damage to trucks as well as lost income could run into billions of rands, while ongoing delays could result in shelves in shops and shopping centres standing empty.
“Depending on the category of vehicle, the type and value of cargo, and the specialised equipment required for the cargo, this can be anywhere between R3-million and R10-million per vehicle,” said the association’s chief executive, Gavin Kelly. “A simple calculation of capital losses of the 40 trucks destroyed to date amounts to between R250-million and R300-million.”
A number of operators confirmed that the N2 and N3 highways remained closed to them by rioters, with burning tyres and debris strewn across the roads to prevent vehicles from passing.
“There will be shortages,” Kelly warned. “The looting and destruction of retail points, from small businesses to large malls, from regional to national distribution centres and warehouses, will force closures.”
The Consumer Goods Council of South Africa also warned of food shortages, saying up to 800 retail stores had to date lost an estimated R5-billion.
“The disruption to and closure of key transport routes can potentially affect the supply chain of retail products, which could in turn create shortages of basic commodities throughout the country,” it said.
The crowds have also targeted manufacturing sites, forcing oil refineries that refine crude to petrol to shutter operations. Inland provinces get most of their fuel trucked in from the coast. On Wednesday morning, long queues formed at a number of petrol stations in Johannesburg as consumers looked to fill up before supplies ran dry. -Daily Maverick
Emergency food is being flown to KwaZulu-Natal, one of the provinces heavily impacted by unrest.
What comes next could be a terrible humanitarian crisis.
* * *
In the past seven days, South Africa has never come closer to becoming a failed state. The riotous looting has reduced Gauteng and KwaZulu-Natal, the two provinces hit hard by the social unrest into what resembles warzones. The country quickly descended into what could be the beginning innings of a civil war, prompting the government to call up military reserves and seek deployment of up to 25,000 troops to quell the violence.
“It is a war zone . . . towns deserted, shops looted, bodies lying on the road,” John Steenhuisen, leader of the main opposition Democratic Alliance, in the province, told Financial Times. “We have an internal African National Congress battle that has spilled over on to the streets of KwaZulu-Natal . . . the initiative has been completely lost by the security services. They need urgent reinforcement.”
Gauteng and KwaZulu-Natal have been overwhelmed by black rioters, many of whom are supporters of former President Jacob Zuma, who was arrested earlier this month and sentenced to prison for corruption charges.
The arrest of Zuma sparked black unrest across the country, more specifically in the two provinces mentioned above.
President Cyril Ramaphosa has been unable to stifle the social unrest as local police and military troops have been outnumbered. The nation remains totally lawless.
Defence Minister Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula told parliament Thursday she had “submitted a request for deployment of plus-minus 25,000” soldiers. There was no word on when the additional troops would hit the streets.
Readers may recall, Wednesday evening, we reported South African Army Reserve has ordered “all Reserve Members” for duty on Thursday morning. There were no exact figures on how many reserves would be deployed.
So far, more than 70 people have died in the mayhem and more than one thousand arrested. The nation’s supply chains have collapsed as major oil refiners shuttered, ports closed, infrastructure damaged, and warehouses looted.
Some figures estimate 45,000 businesses in Durban, a coastal city in KwaZulu-Natal, have been destroyed. This has resulted in gun stores, grocery stores, pharmacies, and shopping malls either being entirely looted or ran out of supplies as massive shortages begin.
“With no help in sight, racial minorities such as whites and Indians are taking up arms to defend their homes and families,” said National Justice.
Johannesburg resident Nhlanhla Lux told FT he defended local businesses with a handful of police and soldiers on Wednesday.
“We can’t sit back while the township economy dilapidates further,” said Lux. “The biggest mall, that employs the biggest number of people, is the one left standing. If it falls, it’s the last elephant.”
For Lux, he is prepared to die” to halt the unrest, he said. “We are on the verge of eating each other.”
The Saker Blog’s Chris Faure asks several important questions:
So, is it a civil war, a coup d’état, or instigation toward a Rwanda-type situation? Or, simply the poor eating the rich? The major question is why did the state security apparatus not see this coming? Or did they? And further, where is the state of emergency? Where is the tear gas to disperse crowds? Where is the sound cannon and where is the water cannon? Why are the crowds not being dispersed? At this moment, it could be a first force, a second force or a third force, some combination or some weird conflation, in charge of the lawlessness.
According to the “Unrest Map” via PolicyLab, the unrest is beginning to fizzle out in Gauteng and KwaZulu-Natal. The concerns are if riots spread to other provinces.
The government is preparing to reduce further riots by activating thousands of more troops and reserves. The rand strengthened against the dollar for the second day on this positive news.
However, emerging from the smoke is a nation that could be close to civil war, the economy destroyed, supply chains crippled, ports closed, infrastructure ablaze, and there’s no telling on how long it would take to rebuild.
Here are more visuals of South Africa’s chaos.
Residents of towns are setting up checkpoints since police and military are non-existent.
The reality in Durban today. Long lines for basic essentials since shortages of ammo, food, and fuel begin. Next, humanitarian crisis?
More checkpoints.
Huge lines for food as supply chains crippled. People are beginning to starve. No one was prepared.
Images of last night’s looting in KwaZulu-Natal.
More people in line waiting for food.
What happens next in a country that is collapsing remains unknown.
