South Africa´s protests turned into violence due to the dangers of not defining demands beforehand. One of the hallmarks of a democratic society is the space it creates for the citizens to express their grievances. In that same space, the desire of the government to take appropriate actions takes place. Whenever the citizens struggle to maintain a coherent voice, chaos breaks loose. And it did in South Africa.
South Africa’s Protests
In July, South Africa went through the worst unrest it has had since the end of apartheid. Violence, looting, and death, amongst other collateral damages, marked this period. Many of these are yet to heal. It was a defining moment in South Africa’s democracy, which started in April 1994.
The unrest itself began as a protest, ignited by the imprisonment of ex-president Jacob Zuma. Jacob Zuma, president for 9 years, handed himself over to the police. The police sentenced him to 15-months imprisonment for contempt of court. He faces several accusations of corruption, which occurred under his administration, both as president and vice president. He had managed to evade prosecution since 2008 when the charges first came to light. Zuma was only made to face the law when the accusations resurfaced in 2018. Consequently, his presidency was cut short after he was pressured to step down by ANC, his political party.
Jacob Zuma always had a populist idea that resonated with the majority of youths. The system frustrates many of them. In actual fact, it is a system that has made little to no socioeconomic progress since the end of apartheid. Despite Zuma’s personal magnetism, the situation of the country didn’t really improve under his administration; and wherever there was any development, suspicions of corruption marred them. Nevertheless, many of Zuma’s supporters claimed to defend him – at least for his ideas. Jacob Zuma went into police custody on July 7. Next, protests broke out in KwaZulu-Natal province, his native place, calling for his release.
South Africa´s Protests: Dangers of Undefined Demands
The protests quickly turned violent as looting and rioting took center stage, revealing layers of unspecified grievances. Like every other country’s economy, Covid-19 hit South Africa badly. The high unemployment rates and poverty and hunger only worsen the already precarious situation. The unemployment in South Africa rose to 34.4% in the second quarter of 2021. More than thousands of people lost their jobs. As the government continues to impose Covid-19 restrictions, these numbers could worsen.
These pointers actually contributed to the volatility of the situation in South Africa. Consequently, the imprisonment of Jacob Zuma was only a spark to an existing layer of gunpowder. With the pain of unfulfilled promises and fear of an unknown future, the protests quickly turned violent.
The riots and looting of July were an image of desperation and disregard of the authorities and the deadly virus. Already the leading country in Africa, with more than 81,000 coronavirus deaths, the violence claimed more than 300 lives. As crowds rushed. The looters were mostly youths and you could see, on their uncovered faces, the frustration of undefined grievances. It would appear that they somehow didn’t care about the 40,000 businesses that the looting affected,
South Africa´s Protests: Aftermath and Lessons
All the items that people stole will expend their usefulness in no time and authorities will restore the status quo. But the frustrations will remain. Even more, pain now because the youths realize that they’ve not made the best use of the avenue they had. Protests are legitimate and relevant to every democracy, but the message must be clear and correlatable. Otherwise, the agitation will fall into unscrupulous waters. Jacob Zuma still awaits proper trial for the charges brought against him. No one knows how long this process will take, as the former president has undergone surgery for undisclosed reasons. The trial itself is a big test of South Africa’s democratic structures. The state must maintain justice at all costs. The dividends of democracy rest more on justice than sentiments.
There is hope for a bright future though. Statistics expect the numbers surrounding foreign direct investment (FDI) to rise, as the nation still has some huge potentials. Projects from Google and PepsiCo are among other big investment plans that would help bolster the economic situation.
Nevertheless, South Africans must express their grievances. They have the right to call out their government and representatives, but they must define their demands. Their voices must be coherent and free of contradictions – attributes that were nonexistent in the last protest.
