Cape Town - The Desmond & Leah Tutu Legacy Foundation says while the criminal element of the violent protests is strongly condemned, the foundation believes that much of it is driven by desperation and hunger as far too many South Africans have been pushed over the edge.
The foundation has also called for restraint from all sides now that the South African National Defence Force (SANDF) has been deployed to quell the violence, destruction and looting.
“We do not believe that all the destructive behaviour we have witnessed in the days since Zuma was jailed, is linked to his incarceration. Where violence is linked to the former president’s jailing, we urge our fellows to consider that these acts do Zuma’s cause no good, they simply devastate lives and livelihoods,” a statement said.
The violence and looting will affect the poor and vulnerable the most, says the foundation. They said with the hundreds of millions of rands in damage that was caused, jobs will be lost and some businesses may not survive, leading to closure.
“South Africa already suffered from the ‘triple challenge’ of poverty, unemployment and inequality before the government imposed a series of national lockdowns aimed at curbing the spread of Covid-19, from March 2020. These have devastated an already hobbling economy, and pushed many into poverty. More than half (55%) of the population experiences poverty, with childhood poverty affecting 63% of children, according to the South African Medical Research Council.”
IFP leader Velenkosini Hlabisa says President Cyril Ramaphosa's statement on Monday, on the violent protests lacked the urgency that the country needed to stop South Africa from sliding into a full-scale national crisis.
“We further take note that the president heeded our call to meet with leaders from across the political spectrum, to discuss interventions and tap into our combined pool of wisdom, as we seek solutions to this crisis. We welcome this.”
Political Bureau