Cape Town – Police Minister Bheki Cele has reportedly praised investigators for their work in the Brookside Mall case.
This comes after in the aftermath of the Pietermaritzburg Magistrates Court’s sentencing of Mdumiseni Zuma, an instigator of the July 2021 unrest, to 12 years imprisonment for the acts of looting and torching the mall.
The mall was a target during the riots in KwaZulu-Natal and Gauteng.
Zuma was sentenced on Wednesday.
The judgement was handed down in September, and Zuma has now been formally sentenced for his role in the events, The Citizen reported.
More than 350 people were killed during almost ten days of unrest that followed the incarceration of ex-president Jacob Zuma in July 2021.
Zuma, 36, who is not a relative of the former head of state, was found guilty of inciting public violence through social media, the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) said.
[BREAKING NEWS] July 2021 unrest instigator Mdumiseni Zuma slapped with 12 years behind bars.
Tune into Newzroom Afrika, DSTV channel 405, for more details.#Newzroom405 pic.twitter.com/FDggyRNIts
— Newzroom Afrika (@Newzroom405) November 29, 2023
Zuma’s conviction was based on a video shared on Whatsapp where the man allegedly called on people to loot a mall in the eastern city of Pietermaritzburg.
The shopping centre was eventually burnt to the ground, with its manager telling the court fire and looting caused about 500 million rands ($27 million) in damages, the NPA said.
The unrest broke out after Zuma, the ex-president, was jailed for contempt over his refusal to testify before a commission probing state corruption during his presidency.
Dozens of people have been convicted over the violence but up until now no one had been sentenced for instigating it.
According to EWN, Cele expressed hope that it is just the beginning, indicating that others facing charges for the 2021 unrest can expect similar outcomes.
“The outstanding 67 with escalated charges, we are coming for them, and we believe that the outcome will be similar or even better,” the report quoted the minister as saying.
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Compiled by Betha Madhomu
