Violence spread in South Africa after Jacob Zuma’s arrest | The Story of Jacob Zuma

Shops were looted and roads were closed as protesters marched through Johannesburg protesting the arrest of the former South African President.

Violent riots have erupted in two South African states following the arrest of former President Jacob Zuma, with supporters blocking roads and seizing shopping malls.

At least 62 people have been arrested, South African police said on Sunday.

Zuma began to serve a 15-month sentence for contempt of court last week. The 79-year-old former president has been arrested for refusing to appear in court in connection with a government-sponsored bribery scandal during his presidency from 2009 to 2018.

His intention to be released from Estcourt Correctional Center was he refuses by the district court on Friday. He is due to reconsider Monday by the Constitutional Court, the country’s highest court.

Zuma supporters’ riots began in his home province of KwaZulu-Natal last week and spread over the weekend to the Gauteng province, which includes Johannesburg, South Africa’s largest city.

Police detain detective amid growing violence following the arrest of former South African President Jacob Zuma [Sumaya Hisham/Reuters]

Hundreds of people looted and set fire to shops in Alexandra and Bramley in Johannesburg, according to police Major General Mathapelo Peters.

The body of the 40-year-old man was found in a burned-out shop and police are investigating the situation, he said.

In addition, at least three police officers were injured in an attempt to apprehend the robbers and one was hospitalized, according to the statement.

The AFP news agency says the N3 highway linking Johannesburg with the Durban city of Durban in KwaZulu-Natal has been closed for hours, including south of Estcourt’s Zuma jail.

President Cyril Ramaphosa reiterated his call for peace on Sunday in a statement that focuses on the COVID-19 ban, urging people to speak “peacefully” and to avoid things that put their lives at risk and damage the economy.

“People have been threatened and intimidated, and some have been injured,” Ramaphosa said, adding that “some people may have died.”

But the robbery continued until Sunday evening in the area around Durban.

Police in riot gear stormed a rally on Friday, removing hundreds of protesters by truck. Police in riot gear stormed a rally on Friday, removing hundreds of protesters by truck.

Shops will be closed on Monday in KwaZulu-Natal and Gauteng to prevent theft, government agencies have said.