[imagesource: Siphiwe Sibeko / Reuters]

Jacob Zuma’s daughter wants a war, and perhaps she will get it.

Late last week, and throughout the weekend, scenes of chaos and destruction have played out.

Videos have been shared on Twitter with hashtags like #FreeZumaNow, #KZNShutdown, #ShutdownGauteng, and other variations.

Ostensibly, what may have begun as a protest against Zuma’s incarceration has now morphed into violence, chaos, and looting, spurred on by the rhetoric of the likes of Dudu Zuma-Sambudla and Carl Niehaus.

Last night, during an 8PM address that saw adjusted alert level 4 restrictions extended for a further two weeks, President Cyril Ramaphosa touched on the violence.

In particular, reports News24, his comment about “ethnic mobilisation” struck a nerve:

“It is a matter of concern to all South Africans that some of these acts of violence are based on ethnic mobilisation. This must be condemned by all South Africans at all costs as we are a nation committed to non-racialism and non-tribalism that is underpinned by the diversity and unity of all the people of South Africa, whatever their language, culture, religious beliefs and race.”

Gauteng and KwaZulu-Natal are the provinces at the centre of the violence, with reports that one security guard was killed during riots that broke out in the Johannesburg CBD early on Sunday morning.

24-year-old Sphela Ndawonde was reportedly caught in the middle “of a skirmish between looters and police”, after “a mob of people forced their way into a liquor store”.

EWN reports that a second person has been killed, although the circumstances are unclear.

UPDATE: As of 11AM on Monday, IOL reports that six people have been killed.

News24 compiled some videos of the damage caused, including the torching of trucks and vehicles:

Then there were the scenes of looting playing out across the country.

This from inside Umlazi’s Mega City Mall:

Inside the mall! pic.twitter.com/N6BBSYsByy

— Nomsa Maseko (@nomsa_maseko) July 11, 2021

This footage shows large crowds in Umlazi:

On Saturday evening, bystanders captured scenes of looting in Mariannhill, with further videos from Reservoir Hills filmed yesterday:

Police arrested at least 20 people last night across the Johannesburg CBD after a day of violence:

The Witness spoke with a fireman on the scene at the Brookside Mall on Monday morning:

“I saw them with my own eyes. They pushed the trolleys and put everything they could in them.”

…while firefighters battled the blaze, people were emptying the shelves.

He said that at the corners of Masukwana and Jabu Ndlovu streets, five shops were set alight.

At the corners of Hoosen Haffejee and Masukwana Streets, another shop was set alight. He added that Masukwana Street is totally off limits.

“It is totally barricaded.”

Footage of one of the blazes:

Ward 22 councillor Xolani Ngongoma said that at Edendale Mall, almost 90% of the shops had been looted, and people had also removed an entire Absa ATM machine.

News24 has a live feed updating with more reports of violence from across the country, which you can follow here.

Suffice to say things could get worse before they get better:

The Witness has reliably been informed that the protests, which form part of the Free Jacob Zuma campaign, will be intensified in the coming days.

“The intention is to incorporate other bigger social issues, including unemployment and landlessness into the Free Jacob Zuma campaign. This is being done to ensure there is wider participation in the protests,” a source within the ANC RET faction said.

Meanwhile, far away from the frontlines, with no fear of arrest or repercussion, some of Zuma’s daughters gathered to send thanks to supporters.

This is really the best they could muster:

A message from Zuma’s daughters.#FreeZumaNow #GautengShutdown #KZNshutdown #FamilyMeeting pic.twitter.com/U4rnS51ZCm

— 📀 Advovolicious 🇿🇦 (@advovolicious) July 11, 2021

It would be laughable if it wasn’t so sad.

Zuma’s most vocal daughter, Dudu Zuma-Sambudla, was essentially called out by President Ramaphosa during his address, having shared a number of video clips that were either old or manipulated.

She doubled down, of course:

How does our Proxy President for WMC tell us live that he is watching people’s Twitter accounts…that is why we have no leadership in the country, ubusy neTwitter…what a joke!!! Our people are hungry. Our people don’t have jobs. Go work and stop stalking people on Twitter…

— Dudu Zuma-Sambudla (@DZumaSambudla) July 11, 2021

South Africans are angry and for good reason.

A full 27 years after democracy was declared, and basic human rights and services remain empty promises.

The finger of fault can be pointed at many, but Jacob Zuma has also played a leading role in that.

[sources:news24&witness]