Police informed about the current balance of victims and arrests in a statement on Tuesday evening. In the afternoon, the death toll was 45 and around 800 were arrested.
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Many of the victims in Gauteng and KwaZulu-Natal provinces have died in the crowds that accompanied the looting of grocery, alcohol, clothing and electronics stores, local officials said, according to Reuters.
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President Cyril Ramaphosa called the current violence in South Africa one of the worst since the end of apartheid in the 1990s.
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The unrest broke out late last week when Zuma, who was president from 2009 to 2018, was sentenced to 15 months in prison for contempt of justice for failing to cooperate in investigating corruption linked to his government.
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People started blocking roads and setting fire to trucks. Looting, violence and burning continued throughout Johannesburg and the surrounding area throughout the weekend, and AFP news agencies witnessed violence tonight.
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Reuters reported that a looting mob was robbing shops and throwing stones at police officers today.
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The situation was exploited by criminal elements
Prime Minister Gauteng, where Johannesburg, David Makhura is located, said earlier on Tuesday that the situation “took advantage of criminal elements”.
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He added that more than 400 people had been arrested in Gauteng, but that the situation was far from under control. “We understand that the unemployed do not have enough food. We understand that the pandemic has exacerbated the situation, “he said.
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“But this looting is damaging our businesses. It damages our economy and our community. It’s destroying it all, “he added on South African television.
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Television footage immediately captured police trying to calm the situation at the Ndofaya department store, where ten people had lost their lives in a crowd that accompanied the looting. Several shots were heard in the report.
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Makhura called on leaders of political, religious and civic organizations to call for an end to looting.
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Dozens of deaths were reported in Gauteng and Zuma’s home province of KwaZulu-Natal. Many of them were trampled in shops, according to KwaZulu-Natal Prime Minister Sihle Zikalala.
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The police were helped by 2,500 soldiers
2,500 soldiers were sent to help the police. In the meantime, the government has announced that it will tighten epidemic measures, as violence may accelerate the spread of coronavirus.
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The minister in charge of the police, General Bheki Cele, said the police would make sure the situation did not worsen.
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It also monitors social media and those who spread false information and call for civil disobedience. He also noted that in some areas, stocks of basic goods may begin to run out if looting does not stop.
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Defense Minister Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula said there was no reason to declare a state of emergency due to the violence.
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There are now around 20,000 new cases of coronavirus daily in South Africa. The 60 million country is the most affected in Africa, 64,500 people have died of covid-19 complications and 2.2 million people have become infected since last year.
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