Reflecting on the July 2021 unrest: How South Africa can heal and unite

IOL News

2 days ago

SAPS members seen monitoring Queen Nandi Drive in the vicinity of Avoca in 2021, after a score of people who support former president Jacob Zuma looted the Game Warehouse in Durban.
Image: Motshwari Mofokeng / Independent Media
As South Africa marks the fourth anniversary of the July 2021 riots in KwaZulu-Natal and Gauteng, sparked by the imprisonment of former president Jacob Zuma, IFP councillor Jonathan Annipen and the South African Human Rights Commission (SAHRC) reflect on what has been labelled the 'darkest modern moment' in South African history.
Writing in his personal capacity, Annipen, the party's Finance Committee chief whip, recalled that protests against the former head of state's arrest quickly devolved into a full-scale attempted insurrection.
'July 2025 marks four years since one of South Africa's darkest modern moments,' he said.
He said the 'political trigger' that ignited the unrest was exacerbated by mass unemployment, entrenched poverty, a failing state, and Covid-19's socio-economic fallout.
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Annipen said the Phoenix community that he serves became the unfortunate epicentre of the storm.
'When looters and violent instigators advanced toward homes, businesses, and places of worship, residents stood up. Men and women, young and old, took up the mantle of self-defence, not out of hate, but out of fear,' he said.
Members of the Phoenix community barricaded a road to prevent looters from entering the community during the July 2021 unrest/riots.
Image: File
He added that amid the defensive stance, individuals targeted people based on skin colour, acting outside the law, and without community mandate.
The names of Delani Hadebe, Mondli Majola, and others, black and Indian, echo as chilling reminders that hatred and racial profiling have no place in a democratic society, he said.
'We remember those who died at the hands of criminals, not just as statistics, but as sons, daughters, mothers, and fathers. People like Mondli Majola, whose bravery was evident in his final moments. People like Delani Hadebe, who was in the wrong place at the wrong time. They are not forgotten. They never will be.'
He clarified that the individuals who perpetrated racialised violence do not represent Phoenix, the Indian community, or any other community.
'Four years later, Phoenix still carries a stigma that it does not deserve, a burden placed on the shoulders of people who had nothing to do with those isolated acts of hatred.'
Annipen stated that opportunists, some with political motives, exploited the violence, deepening the racial divide, particularly between black and Indian communities.
'They used social media to inflame tensions and spread misinformation. It became easier to blame a race than to blame the real culprits,' he said.
Annipen criticised the state's failure to prevent the 2021 unrest, citing intelligence failures, the Minister of Defence's denial, and the President's slow response.
He condemned the unpunished architects of the uprising, calling it a betrayal of the victims and the nation. The unrest caused economic devastation, social trauma, and exposed the fragility of the state.
Annipen warned of fresh rumblings in 2025 after Police Minister Senzo Mchunu was linked to individuals alleged to be involved in the capture of the South African Police Service, and urged swift government action to avoid another July 2021.
He praised South Africans who defended communities and called for truth, justice, and healing.
Annipen said South Africa is wounded but not broken. 'If we are to rise from these ashes, we must do it together. In unity. In peace. And with courage.'
Last month, the South African Human Rights Commission (SAHRC) said it remains deeply concerned by the slow pace of justice regarding criminal incidents that unfolded during the unrest.
'A total of 12 unrest-related criminal matters were heard at the Verulam Magistrate's Court. Six inquests related to Phoenix deaths were also conducted. Disturbingly, all six inquests were concluded informally, without public hearings,' said the commission.
The SAHRC said while these informal procedures are legally permissible, they fall short of delivering the level of transparency and public accountability warranted by the severity of the July unrest atrocities.
'The SAHRC calls on the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA), the judiciary, and all branches of government to commit to restoring public confidence in the justice system by ensuring that the truth surrounding the events that occurred in July 2021 is uncovered through public, formal legal processes.'
According to a report on Wednesday, Advocate Elaine Harrison, the KwaZulu-Natal Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP), said her office noted the concerns raised by the SAHRC regarding how the inquests were conducted. 'This office will investigate the issue and will revert in due course.'
On Friday, the case of Bonginkosi Khanyile, who is charged with incitement to commit public violence, as well as contravention of the Disaster Management Act relating to the unrest, was postponed for further evidence, according to the NPA.
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