Ramaphosa to testify at SAHRC hearing into July unrest on Friday

The South African Human Rights Commission (SAHRC) has confirmed that President Cyril Ramaphosa will appear on Friday before its investigative hearing into the July 2021 civil unrest that rocked parts of KwaZulu-Natal and Gauteng.

The SAHRC on Tuesday said Ramaphosa would give testimony with regard to his responsibility as the head of state.

The hearing panel – which conducted hearings in KZN and Gauteng – has heard testimonies from survivors, various community members, industry players in commerce, private security and state officials as well as high-profile politicians including Ministers Bheki Cele and Ronald Lamola.

‘Failed insurrection’

In the wake of the unrest, Ramaphosa blamed the riots and looting “ethnic mobilisation”.

But he later backtracked after being roundly criticised and said the violence was a “failed insurrection” against the state.

July unrest report

Protests broke out in July after former president Jacob Zuma began a 15-month jail term for contempt, after he disobeyed orders by the Constitutional Court to appear before the Commission of Inquiry into Allegations of State Capture.

A report of a panel of experts, appointed by Ramaphosa in August 2021 to review government’s response to the unrest, concluded that catastrophic failures by the South African Police Service (Saps), intelligence structures, and the executive to quell the violence resulted in destruction and looting, which wiped R50 billion from the economy, left more than 354 people dead and scores others injured.

Furthermore, it found that internal ANC battles have now become a matter of national security and a serious source of instability in the country.

Along with inequality, poor service delivery, high unemployment levels, the culture of violence and the looting bonanza of state resources all combined have created the perfect breeding ground for future violent outbreaks of this scale.