Jacob Zuma’s Detention Sparks Violent Protests, Looting

South Africa is under tension caused by massive protests triggered by the detention of the country’s former head of State who has battling state capture charges.

Supporters of former president Jacob Zuma blocked the N3 highway in Peacevale in KwaZulu-Natal on Friday as protesters continued to demand his release from the Estcourt prison, where he is serving his 15-month jail term for contempt of court.

Police in the KwaZulu-Natal province has said they were still dealing with sporadic incidents of looting and violence overnight in areas affected by the pro-Zuma protests.

Meanwhile, allies of President Cyril Ramaphosa at the ANC’s national executive committee (NEC) meeting have said the president would not interfere with the conviction and sentence of former president Jacob Zuma.

Protests are rapidly spreading to other parts of the country and there are reports of vandalism and looting.

Johannesburg Metro Police Department’s Wayne Minnaar said, “Maboneng has been affected by the violence. Anderson Street and Berea Road are closed off to traffic, and the M2 freeway is still blocked off in the east and west direction because of a very tense situation there where there are still tyres and rocks on the road. It’s not safe for motorists to drive.”

In piecing together this judicial affair, a legal expert has said former President Jacob Zuma should anticipate another loss as he prepares to appear before the Constitutional Court on Monday.

On Friday, the former president was dealt a blow when his bid before the Pietermaritzburg High Court to stay his arrest warrant and prison sentence were dismissed with the costs.

Zuma had approached the court after he was found guilty of being in contempt of an apex court judgment that directed him to appear and participate at the state capture commission.

The commission and the Helen Suzman Foundation opposed Zuma’s legal bid before the Pietermaritzburg High Court.

They argued that the court did not have jurisdiction to rule on the matter and Judge Bhekisisa Mnguni agreed with them – saying Zuma had invoked an incorrect and unprecedented procedure.

Legal expert Tyrone Mnguni said the former president’s rescission application – which will be heard on Monday – was also likely to fail.

“His own lawyers told the courts that ‘we are not coming,’ they cannot say that they did not know. They knew and had the opportunity, they refused to go. So you cannot wait until judgment is then given against you then you decide: ‘Actually, I don’t like the judgment so I am going to rescind it’. So rescinding is not applicable in this matter, and you will see it on Monday,” Mnguni said.