Looters run from police in Alexandra during the looting and unrest experienced across Gauteng on 12 July 2021. Photo: Jacques Nelles
The Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation (Hawks) says the number of suspects arrested in connection to the 2021 July unrest has now increased to 43.
Hawks National Head, Lieutenant General Godfrey Lebeya, accompanied by his management, was giving South Africans an update on priority crimes on Tuesday.
Lebeya says eight suspects were arrested on Tuesday morning.
“There are 43 arrests that have been affected. So far with the arrest of today, we have just passed the 50% mark toward where we want to be going regarding arresting those who played a role.”
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Lebeya was also questioned on why authorities haven’t arrested high-profile people who publicly incited looters during the riots.
These include former president Jacob Zuma’s children Duduzane and Duduzile Zuma-Sambula.
“If one can understand the complicated nature of the investigation that we have been dealing with, the public should rest assured that nothing that appeared in public was left unattended.
“So, as to the evidence that we tabled before the prosecuting authority to make a determination of prosecuting or otherwise is a different matter.”
“There are certain things that may appear in the media space which we obviously take note of that, package those in a form of a docket and after completion tabled it before the prosecution,” Lebeya said.
Lebeya did not want to disclose who else had been arrested for their involvement in the July unrest.
“So, I wouldn’t be indicating who are the others, and we don’t necessarily rank them. We are not influenced by any political affiliation. Everybody in South Africa has got the right to belong to a political organisation of their choice.”
Lebeya says the accused are expected to appear in the Durban Magistrate’s Court on Friday.
More than 350 people were killed during the July unrest.
The anarchy was triggered by the arrest of former president Jacob Zuma, who was in contempt of a court order.
ALSO READ: July unrest: If you shared content inciting violence, you’re as guilty as original poster -expert
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