Johannesburg – A further 22 people have died during unrest raging in South Africa, a provincial official said on Tuesday, taking the national death toll from days of violence to 32.
The toll in KwaZulu-Natal province now stands at 26, premier Sihle Zikalala told a news conference on Tuesday, a day after officials confirmed six deaths in Gauteng province.
“These were people killed during stampedes as protesters ran riot,” he said, without specifying which parts of the province.
LIVESTREAM | PREMIER ZIKALALA ADDRESSES THE PEOPLE OF KWAZULU-NATAL https://t.co/A89lkEr3Ov
— KZN Provincial Gov (@kzngov) July 13, 2021
President Cyril Ramaphosa on Monday deployed troops to help police halt the violence and looting sparked by the jailing of ex-president Jacob Zuma.
Southeastern KwaZulu-Natal – Zuma’s home region – is the epicentre of the unrest.
ALSO READ | At least 2 500 troops deployed to crush rioting, looting in SA
Protests erupted last week shortly after Zuma started serving a 15-month term for snubbing a probe into the corruption that stained his nine years in power.
The violence has so far been confined to the two most populous provinces of KwaZulu-Natal and Gauteng, which houses the economic hub of Johannesburg.
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Source: AFP
Picture: Getty Images
