• e-mail

South Africa is in the grip of its worst unrest since the end of apartheid with shopkeepers firing at looters and a woman throwing her baby from a burning mall roof as violence sparked by the jailing of ex-president Jacob Zuma entered its fifth day today. 

At least 45 people have now died - including 10 tramped to death during a stampede at a looted shopping mall - in riots centered around KwaZulu-Natal and Guateng provinces that began last week and raged through the weekend after 79-year-old Zuma was jailed for failing to cooperate with a corruption probe.

The army has been called in to help stem the unrest amid fears the violence could dramatically escalate after fearful citizens were forced to take the law into their own hands amid warnings that food supplies could soon run short if the looting doesn't stop.

Prime Minister Cyril Ramaphosa, who Zuma and his supporters accuse of carrying out a witch-hunt against him with the corruption probe, appealed for calm as mobs ransacked shopping malls on Monday night - saying the current unrest is the worst the country has seen since the overthrow of white minority rule in the 1990s.

While the roots of the disturbances may be political, Zuma said, peaceful demonstrations have now been hijacked by 'opportunistic criminals' who are 'instigating chaos merely as a cover for looting and theft'.

'Together, we will defeat those who seek to destabilize our country,' he said. 'We will stand as one people, united against violence, unanimous in our commitment to peace and to the rule of law.'  

Video footage shared to Twitter on Monday showed people resorting to shooting at looters in a bid to protect their businesses as looting continues in the Gauteng and KwaZulu-Natal provinces 

In the clip, a line of shop and property owners fired on the rioters from afar before running closer and continuing to shoot, while the crowds protected themselves behind road signs and ran off the road amid the chaos

South Africa entered the fifth day of rioting on Tuesday with the death toll rising to 32 as police and the military struggle to quell the looting (pictured: Jabulani Mall in Soweto) and violence in Gauteng and KwaZulu-Natal provinces

A member of the South African Police Services (SAPS) fired rubber bullets at rioters looting the Jabulani Mall in Soweto on Monday 

A police officer stands on the arm of a suspected looter while another man wields an iron bar during the violent scenes in Johannesburg on Tuesday

Angry locals launch rocks at police officers near the entrance of a looted shopping mall after the fifth day of ransacking in South Africa

Metro police officers fire at protesters at Jabulani mall as the country deploys army to quell unrest linked to jailing of former President Jacob Zuma in Soweto on Monday

People throw stones at police as they attempt looting at Letsoho Shopping Centre in Katlehong, east of Johannesburg

One clip posted to Twitter on Monday showed a group of men who were reported to be business owners facing off against a mob along a highway to the south of Durban, the largest city in Kwa-Zulu Natal province.

The mob - who had ripped down street signs to use as makeshift shields - hurled rocks and shouted at the store owners, who returned fire using rifles and shotguns before moving down the road towards them.

Wearing bulletproof vests, the men then form a line in the middle of the street as the looters continue to hurl rocks and hold their ground.

More footage that appeared online Tuesday showed a woman hurling her young child from the top of a shopping mall after rioters ransacked the shops on the ground floor and set light to them - threatening the apartment building above.

A group of people gathered in the street catch the youngster before rushing him to safety, leaving mother to try and find her own way down from the burning skyscraper. 

Overnight, the bodies of ten people were found on Monday evening after people ransacked a shopping mall in Soweto, Gauteng, premier David Makhura confirmed on Tuesday.

The deployment of 2,500 soldiers to support the South African police has not yet stopped the rampant looting although arrests are being made at some areas in Johannesburg, including Vosloorus in eastern Johannesburg. 

The rioting continued on Tuesday as looters ransacked warehouses and supermarkets in the South African port city of Durban despite the efforts of heavily outnumbered police.

Video footage also emerged showing a toddler being thrown from a burning building to neighbours waiting below after looters raided shops on the ground floor and set fire to the building, affecting the apartments above. 

Hundreds of people were seen raiding a warehouse belonging to the retailer Game, which sells items including groceries and home appliances. People took everything they could lay their hands on, and some drove off with stolen goods in pick-up trucks with covered number plates.

Vandals also trashed a Makro supermarket and other shops in the city centre, while police were overwhelmed and unable to control the rioters.

Aerial footage shot from a helicopter by the local television channel eNCA showed black smoke rising from several warehouses and surrounding roads strewn with debris.

Looting (pictured) has been centered on Zuma's home state of KwaZulu-Natal - where a shopping centre was burned and looted on Monday - but have also spread into neighbouring Guateng state and its largest city, Johannesburg

The rioting continued on Tuesday as looters ransacked warehouses and supermarkets in South African cities despite the efforts of heavily outnumbered police

Groups of people have been looting supermarkets and warehouses in the Gauteng and KwaZulu-Natal provinces as the violence continued

President Ramaphosa urged 'peaceful protest' during a speech on Sunday. Pictured: A metro police officers keeps guard at Jabulani mall on Tuesday

Suspected looters are pinned to the ground by an armed private security officer inside a flooded mall in Vosloorus on the fifth day of rioting

A member of the military keeps guard outside a McDonald's store on Tuesday as the country deploys army in two provinces amid looting and rioting

Amid the unrest, protesters have blockaded roads with burning tires, burned buildings, set off explosions and fired gunshots in townships across KwaZulu-Natal. Pictured: Person uses mobile phone in a looted shop

The military (pictured in Diepkloof Square area in Soweto, Johannesburg) has now been called in to help restore order in both provinces amid fears the violence could rapidly escalate

Durban has one of the busiest shipping terminals on the African continent, is home to dozens of industrial parks and is a hub for imports and exports into and out of southern Africa.

Amid the unrest, protesters have blockaded roads with burning tires, burned buildings, set off explosions and fired gunshots in townships across KwaZulu-Natal. 

President Cyril Ramaphosa said on Monday the deadly unrest gripping the country is unprecedented in post-apartheid South Africa as he deployed troops to help police crush the violence and looting.

The violence was triggered by the jailing of former president Jacob Zuma as his supporters took to the streets last week, but the situation has evolved into an outpouring of anger over persistent poverty and inequality, 27 years after the end of apartheid.

Rioters also set fire to a chemical plant close to Umhlanga, a town north of Durban, emergency services said. Firefighters were on the scene trying to prevent the fire spreading to an adjacent clothing factory.   

Many of the deaths have occurred in chaotic stampedes as scores of people looted food, electric appliances, liquor, and clothing from retail centers, KwaZulu-Natal premier Sihle Zikalala told the press on Tuesday morning.

'Yesterday's events brought a lot of sadness. The number of people who have died in KwaZulu-Natal alone stands at 26. Many of them died from being trampled on during a stampede while people were looting items,' said Zikalala.

A member of the military walks as he inspects the damage at the looted Jabulani mall on Monday as the country deploys army to quell unrest

The deployment of 2,500 soldiers (pictured) to support the South African police has not yet stopped the rampant looting although arrests are being made at some areas in Johannesburg, including Vosloorus in eastern Johannesburg

Suhail Essa, a doctor in the city, described scenes at the weekend as 'a glimpse into hell' as his clinic was flooded with patients. Pictured: General view of the aftermath after an ATM was looted in Soweto on the outskirts of Johannesburg

Fighting has been centered on Zuma's home state of KwaZulu-Natal - where a shopping centre was burned and looted on Monday - but have also spread into neighbouring Guateng state and its largest city, Johannesburg. 

In Gauteng, South Africa's most populous province which includes the largest city, Johannesburg, six people have died, said officials. 

The military has now been called in to help restore order in both provinces amid fears the violence could rapidly escalate. 

'The South African National Defence Force (SANDF) has commenced with pre-deployment processes and procedures in line with a request for assistance,' the military said in a statement. 

President Ramaphosa urged 'peaceful protest' during a speech on Sunday. 

Suhail Essa, a doctor in the city, described scenes at the weekend as 'a glimpse into hell' as his clinic was flooded with patients including a six-month-old girl who was shot in the head by a rubber bullet. 

Dr Essa said the girl was being carried by her mother when she got caught up in the violence, before being stuck by the bullet. He did not say whether she survived.

He told News24 of 'war-like' conditions inside his clinic, saying: 'We were listening to gunshots and screams, and then people were running in for help.'

A road is barricaded in Soweto near Johannesburg, Tuesday July 13, 2021 as ongoing looting and violence continues

Many of the deaths have occurred in chaotic stampedes as scores of people looted food, electric appliances, liquor, and clothing from retail centers, KwaZulu-Natal premier Sihle Zikalala told the press on Tuesday morning

Looting continued Tuesday in Johannesburg shopping malls in township areas including Jabulani Mall and Dobsonville Mall in Soweto. There were also reports of continued looting in centers in KwaZulu-Natal. Pictured: Military in Soweto on Monday

Streets were left strewn with rubbish and debris after looters ransacked shops and other businesses, as rioting sparked by the jailing of ex-president ex-president Jacob Zuma continued

Among other injuries he treated was a person shot in the eye by a rubber bullet, and multiple foreigners who were stabbed in what he called 'xenophobic' attacks.

The situation then descended further into chaos as people began fighting with doctors inside the clinic, before a mob turned up and tried to storm inside.

'It was a nightmare. There was no chance for us to keep up with the injured patients,' he added. 'We were in war mode, dealing with the sickest and helping those who could be saved.' 

Looting continued Tuesday in Johannesburg shopping malls in township areas including Jabulani Mall and Dobsonville Mall in Soweto. There were also reports of continued looting in centers in KwaZulu-Natal.

The violence was sparked by a judicial investigation into Zuma, a veteran of South Africa's fight against apartheid and white minority rule, over his relationship with Indian-born businessmen and brothers known as 'the Guptas'. 

Zuma has begun serving a 15-month sentence for contempt of court, after he was convicted of defying a court order to testify before a state-backed inquiry probing allegations of corruption during his term as president from 2009 to 2018.

He is accused of allowing Atul, Ajay and Rajesh Gupta to plunder state resources and peddle influence over government policy. 

Water floods the floor outside a Game shop with broken doors as alleged shoplifters are rounded up by security guards in Vosloorus 

The sporadic pro-Zuma violence spiraled into a spree of criminal theft in poor, township areas of the two provinces, according to witnesses. So far the lawlessness has not spread to South Africa's other nine provinces

Looting continued Tuesday in Johannesburg shopping malls in township areas including Jabulani Mall and Dobsonville Mall in Soweto. There were also reports of continued looting in centers in KwaZulu-Natal

The police and the military are struggling to quell the looting and violence in Gauteng and KwaZulu-Natal provinces. Pictured: Members of the military look at damaged ATM machines outside a bank on Monday

Meanwhile, the bodies of ten people were found on Monday evening after people ransacked a shopping mall in Soweto, Gauteng, premier David Makhura confirmed on Tuesday. Pictured: Looting at the Jabulani Mall in Soweto on Monday

The Gold Spot Shopping Centre in Vosloorus, southeast of Johannesburg, was left completely trashed on Monday after it was ransacked by looters

The 79-year-old has refused to cooperate, describing the investigation as a witch-hunt by his successor Cyril Ramaphosa, and last week defied a court ruling to appear before the inquiry and give evidence.

A judge subsequently jailed him for 15 months for contempt of court, and he was taken to prison on Thursday last week after surrendering to police.

Cyril Ramaphosa, South Africa's current president, has been accused of carrying out a witch-hunt against Zuma with the investigation. 

The Constitutional Court, the country's highest court, heard Zuma's application to have his sentence rescinded on Monday. Zuma's lawyer presented his arguments that the top court made errors when sentencing Zuma to prison. 

After 10 hours of testimony on Monday, the court judges said they would study the arguments and announce their decision at a later date.

His jailing sparked a wave of violent protest that began Friday and has continued ever since, centered around his home state of KwaZulu-Natal. 

The sporadic pro-Zuma violence spiralled into a spree of criminal theft in poor, township areas of the two provinces, according to witnesses. So far the lawlessness has not spread to South Africa's other nine provinces. 

An owner stands outside his shop while people clean the rubble at the Diepkloof Square area in Soweto, Johannesburg on Tuesday

South Africa's army said on July 13 it was deploying troops to two provinces, including its economic hub of Johannesburg, to help police tackle deadly violence and looting as unrest sparked by the jailing of ex-president Jacob Zuma continued

A group of armed private security officers walk back to base during an operation against a group of protesters in Jeppestown, Johannesburg, on Monday

Private armed security officers take position during a joint operation with undercover and uniformed South Africa Police Service (SAPS) members in Jeppestown, Johannesburg, amid clashes  with residents of the Wolhuter Men's Hostel

President Cyril Ramaphosa said on Monday the deadly unrest gripping the country is unprecedented in post-apartheid South Africa as he deployed troops to help police crush the violence and looting sparked by the jailing of ex-president Jacob Zuma