Hawks arrest 20 alleged July unrest instigators

The Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation (Hawks) have arrested 20 alleged instigators of public violence, through social media and other platforms, during the period of unrests in KwaZulu-Natal, Gauteng and other parts of the country last year.

According to the Hawks, joint police teams were mobilised to execute simultaneous arrests in various areas so as to secure court attendance of persons of interest, spread out in KwaZulu-Natal, Gauteng, North West, Free State, Western Cape and Northern Cape provinces.

The 20 arrested suspects are expected to appear in the Durban Central Magistrate’s Court on Friday on charges ranging from conspiracy to commit public violence, incitement to commit public violence and incitement to commit arson.

The investigation continues and more arrests are imminent, said the Hawks.

The 20 suspects join the 19 who were also arrested in connection with instigating the violence and looting in July last year.

The upheaval left South Africa in chaos as riots spread throughout KwaZulu-Natal and Gauteng after former president Jacob Zuma was imprisoned.

Speaking at the Justice, Crime Prevention and Security Cluster briefing last month, Police Minister Bheki Cele said the Hawks had 86 people that were of interest to their investigations.

ALSO READ: July unrest in numbers: Arrests, court cases and investigations

Court cases

At the time, Defence Minister Thandi Modise said 2,435 cases had been added to the court roll, with 50 of those cases resulting in a guilty verdict.

Focusing on Phoenix – an area of KZN that saw high levels of violence, often between neighbours – 164 cases had been investigated, leading to 69 being arrested.

Modise said 36 of those arrests were for the murder of 35 people in the area. Another 31 were arrested for attempted murder.

Modise said more than 8,000 incidents were reported to the police, which led to at least 5,000 people being arrested. Of those arrests, more than 2,900 cases were closed as undetected or unfounded.

The cases included incitement to commit public violence, murder, attempted murder, arson, malicious damage to property, possession of suspected stolen property, damage to infrastructure and culpable homicide.

Compiled by Vhahangwele Nemakonde. Additional reporting by Gareth Cotterell