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South Africa to spend £48.3 million to beef up security post unrest

South Africa to spend £48.3 million to beef up security post unrest

SOUTH AFRICAN government will spend an additional amount of $67.4 million (£48.3m) to beef up security after the deadly unrest earlier this month played havoc and caused loss of life and property.

Treasury allocated an additional 250m rand (£12.3m) to the police and 750m rand (£36.8m) to the military, finance minister Tito Mboweni told media.


President Cyril Ramaphosa deployed 25,000 soldiers to provide reinforcement to police overwhelmed in the wake of widespread looting and violence.

The unrest and protests broke out a day after the former president Jacob Zuma, 79, started serving a 15-month jail term on July 8. It erupted in KwaZulu-Natal and later spread to Johannesburg, the economic capital.

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

The violence left at least 330 people dead and resulted in an estimated $3.4 billion (£2.4bn) in damage and looted stock.

Mboweni condemned the violence, saying "it is us in the community who must take responsibility for the safety and security of our assets."

The government said earlier it is clamping down on the alleged plotters of the unrest with some suspects arrested.

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Aegon exits UK after 200 years as £2bn deal hands business to Standard Life
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Aegon exits UK after 200 years as £2bn deal hands business to Standard Life

  • Aegon sells its UK arm to Standard Life in a £2bn deal.
  • The move is part of a broader shift towards the US market.
  • The combined group will serve 16 million customers with £480bn in assets.

After nearly two centuries of presence, Aegon is stepping away from the UK market. The company has agreed to sell its UK business to Standard Life in a deal valued at about £2bn, marking a significant shift in its global strategy.

The transaction brings together two large pensions and savings businesses, creating a combined group with around 16 million customers and £480bn ($651bn) in assets under administration. For Aegon, the move is less about the UK itself and more about where it wants to be next.

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