Johannesburg – South Africa will spend an additional $67.4 million on security following this month’s deadly unrest sparked by the jailing of ex-president Jacob Zuma, the finance minister announced on Wednesday.
Tito Mboweni told a media conference that the Treasury was allocating an additional R250 million ($16.8 million) to the police and 750 million rand to the military.
President Cyril Ramaphosa deployed 25 000 soldiers to provide reinforcement to police overwhelmed in the face of massive and widespread looting and violence.
The unrest followed protests that broke out after Zuma, 79, started serving a 15-month jail term on July 8 for ignoring a judicial investigation into corruption during his time in office.
The violence left at least 330 people dead and resulted in an estimated $3.4 billion in damage and looted stock.
In the conference Mboweni condemned the violence, saying “it is us in the community who must take responsibility for the safety and security of our assets.”
The government has said it is clamping down on the alleged plotters of the unrest with a handful of suspects arrested.
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Picture: Getty Images
Source: AFP
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