‘A little loss’: Poverty and despair create chaos in South Africa | Criticism Story

Johannesburg, South Africa – South Africa has been in a state of turmoil for decades as protests against former President Jacob Zuma erupted into chaos and violence.

At least 72 people have died in six consecutive days of clashes between police and protesters and terrorist attacks. So far more than 1,200 people have been arrested.

What initially started as a protest against Zuma’s arrest Friday’s contempt of court is marred by allegations of inequality and poverty that have shaken the country.

President Cyril Ramaphosa has sent 2,500 troops to Gauteng and KwaZulu-Natal, the two worst-hit states, to assist police officers who are too few and unable to deal with the violence.

“Areas left in the world’s unequal world are angry with the system and are exhausted,” Professor Mcebisi Ndletyana, a political analyst, told Al Jazeera.

“This anger has been subsiding for many years and we are probably experiencing a shift in the poor working class and the exploitation of criminals who benefit from rebellion and violence.”

‘We are hungry’

Thousands of businesses have been looted or forced to close their doors for fear of violence.

“We are not relieved because we will be deprived of the weapons that took us years to buy and the 14 employees have to stay home until the accident,” Humphrey Jeffries *, who owns a car business in the Johannesburg Central Business area, told Al Jazeera.

“After 48 years of doing business, we are facing the prospect of retrenchment and closure now. We have managed to get past the first COVID-19 barrier but this is much more so now.”

Cities, factories, towns, and other areas are closed by protesters blocking roads and burning tires [Nickolaus Bauer/Al Jazeera]

Currently 200 stores around the world are being forced to close with violence, with everything from food and medicine to smart TVs and clothing being looted.

Jabulani Mall in Soweto, the largest city in the country, has been completely destroyed by theft and vandalism. The business owners tried to save the small group that remained under the supervision of the security forces, who were only in charge of rescuing more people.

“People started breaking into shops and stealing because we want the release of former President Jacob Zuma,” Ms Khoza, one of the protesters, told Al Jazeera.

“But even if the president says so, [looting] they will continue because we too are hungry and need things to survive. ”

South Africa’s economy has been on the rise since the introduction of COVID-19 and its gross domestic product (GDP) forecast to reach 3.1% by 2021.

But unemployment has grown by more than 32 percent in what is known to be one of the worst in the world, with a Gini-Coefficient of 63 and more than half of people living in poverty.

Economic recovery was disrupted as a result of the fighting as South Africa battled a third coronavirus that killed more than 2,500 people last week alone.

“People are in deep trouble and crime and lawlessness has become a major economic threat to South Africa,” economist Xhanti Payi told Al Jazeera.

“But this kind of instability hinders all efforts to rebuild the economy and the poorest have lost their opportunity due to the loss of jobs and government funding that will not help people living in poverty.”

Demonstrations are spreading

Despite being sent by the military, riots continue and have now spread to the Northern Cape and Mpumalanga.

With the country’s most affected networks, the shortage of oil, food and medicine is now said to be on the rise.

“The main lines running from Africa’s largest port in Durban to the South African capital of Johannesburg have been closed carrying 6,000 vehicles a day,” project management expert Mike Schussler told Al Jazeera.

“This will not only affect the country but also the southern African region and the continent as a whole.”

Security analyst Helmoed Heitman told Al Jazeera that while the protests were described as the actions of most people living in poverty, they were also fueled by political opportunities.

“There are two aspects to this: the hopeless majority and the few who will lose out in protests and vandalism, following the country’s political upheavals where allies of former President Jacob Zuma must benefit from violence and lawlessness.

* Name has been changed for fear of being ridiculed by critics.