How SA can heal from July unrest

AS SOUTH Africa marks the fourth anniversary of the July 2021 riots in KwaZulu-Natal and Gauteng, sparked by the imprisonment of former president Jacob Zuma, IFP councillor Jonathan Annipen and the South African Human Rights Commission (SAHRC) reflect on the "darkest modern moment" in South African history.

- KAREN SINGH

Writing in his personal capacity, Annipen, the party's Finance Committee chief whip, recalled that protests against the former head of state's arrest quickly devolved into a full-scale attempted insurrection.

He said the “political trigger” that ignited the unrest was exacerbated by mass unemployment, entrenched poverty, a failing state and Covid-19's socioeconomic fallout.

Annipen said the Phoenix community that he serves became the unfortunate epicentre of the storm.

“When looters and violent instigators advanced toward homes, businesses and places of worship, residents stood up and took up the mantle of self-defence, not out of hate, but out of fear,” he said.

He added that amid the defensive stance, individuals targeted people based on skin colour, acting outside the law.

The names of Delani Hadebe, Mondli Majola and others, black and Indian, echo as chilling reminders that hatred and racial profiling have no place in a democratic society, he said.

“We remember those who died at the hands of criminals, not just as statistics, but as sons, daughters, mothers, and fathers.”