SANDY AFRICA|
LAST July South Africa was hit by a wave of devastating violence that left over 350 people dead and caused massive economic damage. Different people have used different terms to describe what happened: civil unrest, looting, food riots, uprising, rebellion, counter-revolution.
Even government ministers were initially divided about what to call the events. President Cyril Ramaphosa labelled them an insurrection: a calculated, orchestrated effort to destabilise the country, sabotage the economy, and undermine constitutional democracy.
Whichever way the events are described, they can be attributed to:
- the pervasiveness of weak state institutions which failed at implementation,
- ineffective security institutions which failed to uphold the law, and
- poor oversight and consequence management at national, provincial, and local government levels.
The picture pieced together by an expert panel appointed by Ramaphosa to probe the riots was of a build-up, over several months, of a deliberate and targeted campaign that set the stage for what was
You’ve reached your free article limit
Subscribe to enjoy unlimited access to trusted journalism. Cancel anytime.
Subscribe nowNeed help? molokom@insidepolitic.co.za
