Are the unrest of July 2.0 on our doorstep?
On Sunday night, as the country marked the second anniversary of the July unrest, in which more than 300 people were killed in violence in KwaZulu-Natal and parts of Gauteng, 11 trucks were set on fire in separate incidents in KZN and Mpumalanga. There would be more accidents during the week, with 21 trucks eventually burning.
In a briefing on Wednesday, Police Minister Beke Seeley said there was no evidence to suggest the arson attacks were linked or related to the July insurrection two years ago, which erupted when former President Jacob Zuma was jailed for contempt of court.
But it was hard not to draw parallels from what happened then, in part because of a lack of intelligence and because of the fact that the trucking industry also bore the brunt of the violence during the July 2021 unrest.
We may be two years away from July’s week-long unrest, but it still bears scars aplenty for some, with fears raised that recent truck burnings could be a harbinger of violence to come, especially as we head into the 2024 election, and many despair about the direction it’s headed. The country’s economy.
On Thursday, the Constitutional Court rejected an attempt to overturn the Supreme Court of Appeal ruling that President Jacob Zuma should return to prison.
In this week’s Friday Briefing, he co-authored 8 days in Julyand News24 senior journalist at KZN, Cavil Singh, reflects on the similarities between police actions prior to the violent events of July 2021 with what we have seen more recently. In a series of attacks on the trucking industry.
Executive Director of the African Center for Security and Intelligence Praxis, David Africa writes that our political and state leaders believe that problems will magically disappear Or those strategy and abilities can be magically summoned out of thin air. He believes that it requires unremitting efforts, perseverance and innovative thinking to achieve the necessary political and security responses to prevent the next “July”.
Center for the Study of Violence and Reconciliation Boykanyo Moloto and Professor Maluz Langa examine whether we are likely to see an increase in violence, as the country prepares for national electionsEspecially with the expectation of declining electoral support for the African National Congress.
Finally, the University of Wits Dr. Lumkel Mundy looks at the state of the economy and the impact of the July 2021 turmoil on it And what does it mean to move on.
Enjoy the weekend.
better,
Vanessa Banton
Opinions Editor.
We, as a nation, are still reeling from the collective trauma of the July unrest, while elected officials, paying millions each year, do not care enough to ensure we feel protected and safe. He writes about the vandalism of trucks this week again, those fault lines Cavil Singh.
As the country prepares for elections next year, thinking about violence in South Africa, common use, and the hijacking of citizens’ real concerns is bound to increase either through politics or increased episodes of violence that attract the attention of leaders, he writes. Lead measurement And Mallose Langa.
Lumkil Worlds Reflecting on the impact of the July 2021 unrest on the economy, he writes that the country’s current GDP calls for new and strategic approaches to deal with the chaos, rebuild state capacity and protect incomes, given the high levels of desperation due to chronic unemployment in South Africa.
