Neelam Rahim | neelam@radioislam.co.za

3-minute read
31 January 2024 | 17:45 CAT

NEWSSAHRC Urges SSA and Crime Intelligence to Foster Community Relationships for Data Collection Post-July 2021 Unrest

The South African Human Rights Commission has urged the government to find and prosecute the masterminds of the July 2021 unrest.

On Monday, the Human Rights Commission and the Commission for the Promotion and Protection of the Rights of Cultural, Religious and Linguistic Communities jointly launched the 2021 July Unrest Investigative hearings reports.

The two reports resulted from investigative work on specific issues following the unrest in KwaZulu Natal and Gauteng in July 2021.

Radio Islam International discussed the unrest’s rationale, parameters and implications with the Human Rights Commissioner, Philile Ntuli.

The riots, which were characterised by mass looting and destruction of infrastructure, caused more than 350 deaths, R50 billion in damage, and 150,000 job losses.

Ntuli said it appeared that the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) and the Department of Justice and Constitutional Development were not investigating the masterminds of the unrest and called on law enforcement institutions to act.

She added that it was clear the unrest was a well-planned attack.

Speaking on the indication that the unrest could be directly linked to the imprisonment of former President Jacob Zuma, which happened at the same time, Ntuli says, “we found that the incarceration of the former president was not the only event that occurred around the same time. In light of this information that we have, we were unable to conclusively link the incarceration of Jacob Zuma directly to the unrest.”

She said the evidence generated from 54 oral presentations in KZN and Gauteng and more than 120 written submissions pointed to two types of actors during the unrest.

Ntuli said the first were “primary actors” who were well-resourced.

According to Ntuli, the primary actors led and executed the widespread destruction of property and perpetrated arson attacks.

She said, “They, in turn, mobilised secondary actors, who participated in acts of theft at malls and other business premises. ”

But, Ntuli added, they did not receive clear evidence identifying specific groups or individuals as primary actors.

Listen to the full interview on The Daily Round-Up with Muallimah Annisa Esscak.