Riots continue in South Africa, claim 72 lives

RIOTS continued in South Africa for the sixth day on Wednesday (14) with death toll rising to 72 and stores being looted.

Looting and unrest has spread to the economic capital of Johannesburg and the southeastern province of KwaZulu-Natal despite the deployment of troops to control mobs.

The unrest first erupted Friday (9) after former president Jacob Zuma started serving a 15-month jail term for contempt.

Zuma, 79, was sentenced on June 29 for failing to appear at the corruption inquiry led by deputy chief justice Raymond Zondo in February.

"The total number of people who have lost their lives since the beginning of these protests ... has risen to 72," the police said in a statement late Tuesday (13).

Most of the deaths "relate to stampedes that occurred during incidents of looting of shops", it said.

Others were related to shootings and explosions of bank ATMs, the police said.

So far, the police has arrested 1,234, while many more were involved in the ransacking.

News agency AFP spoke to some of the looters who admitted to being caught up in the rush.

"I'm really not concerned about Zuma. He is a corrupt old man that deserves to be in jail," said a 30-year-old man who works at a car wash.

He admitted to "taking things from the shop for my mum".

In his address to the nation on Monday (12), president Cyril Ramaphosa lashed "opportunistic acts of criminality, with groups of people instigating chaos merely as a cover for looting and theft".

"The path of violence, of looting and anarchy, leads only to more violence and devastation," Ramaphosa said.

Besides, the chair of the African Union Commission condemned "the surge of violence that has resulted in the deaths of civilians and appalling scenes of the looting", calling "for an urgent restoration of order".

Supply concerns

Looting of stores and warehouses has raised fears of food and fuel shortages as disruption to farming, manufacturing and oil refining has begun to hit.

according to reports, the unrest has hit supply chains and transport links in the Johannesburg region and the southeastern province of KwaZulu-Natal.

The fear of supply shortage has forced people in the port city of Durban to que outside food stores and at fuel stations as early as 4 a.m, an AFP report said.

On Tuesday (13), South Africa’s largest refinery, Sapref, declared "force majeure", closing down a third of the country’s fuel supply.

Some fuel retailers have started rationing while others have started to run dry.

British & Irish Lions in South Africa

The British and Irish Lions have been reassured of their safety amid rioting in South Africa, a security official told AFP.

"There have been discussions with the Lions and security has increased," the official said.

The Lions are scheduled to play three matches in Cape Town, starting against South Africa A on Wednesday (14), before returning to Johannesburg for two Tests that will complete the tour.

The team arrived in South Africa on June 28 for an eight-match tour.