South Africa Convicts Man for Inciting Deadly 2021 Riots

More than 350 people were killed during almost ten days of unrest that followed the incarceration of ex-president Jacob Zuma in July 2021.

Mdumiseni Zuma, 36, who is not a relative of the former head of state, was found guilty of inciting public violence through social media, the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) said.

"This is the first conviction where an individual has been... sentenced for inciting the unrest," said NPA spokeswoman Natasha Ramkisson-Kara.

"We hope that this sentence serves as a deterrent to others who intend on engaging in similar offences."

Zuma's conviction was based on a video shared on Whatsapp where the man allegedly called on people to loot a mall in the eastern city of Pietermaritzburg.

The shopping center was eventually burnt to the ground, with its manager telling the court fire and looting caused about 500 million rands ($27 million) in damages, the NPA said.

The unrest broke out after Zuma, the ex-president, was jailed for contempt over his refusal to testify before a commission probing state corruption during his presidency.

Mobs in his home region, KwaZulu-Natal, and Johannesburg, overran dozens of shopping malls and warehouses, carting away flat-screen televisions, refrigerators, leather couches and cartons of fresh meat.

Dozens of people have been convicted over the violence but up until today no one was sentenced for instigating it.

The perceived lack of progress in bringing the perpetrators to justice has been a cause of frustration for relatives of the victims and many others across the country.

An inquiry report published last year said that while the riots were largely organised by protesters on social media, the masterminds had remained "largely faceless."

The trial of another 65 alleged agitators is expected to resume in January, the NPA said.