Zuma Arrest Civil Unrest: Man Sentenced To 12 Years In Jail For Incitement
A man named Mdumiseni Zuma has been sentenced to 12 years in prison by the Pietermaritzburg Magistrate’s Court for his role in instigating the civil unrest that occurred in July 2021 following the arrest of former president Jacob Zuma.
Zuma, who is not related to the former president, was the first of over 60 individuals accused of being instigators to be convicted and sentenced for the violence that took place in KwaZulu-Natal and parts of Gauteng, News24 reported. The unrest resulted in the deaths of over 350 people and caused significant damage to infrastructure, with over R50 billion in losses and the loss of more than 150,000 jobs.
Zuma was arrested in August 2021 after police investigations revealed that he had recorded a video of himself urging people to loot and burn the Brookside Mall in Pietermaritzburg, which he then shared on his WhatsApp status. Zuma claimed that the video was a “drunk prank,” but the court dismissed this defence during his conviction in September.
During the sentencing, Magistrate Morné Cannon described Zuma’s offence as serious and held him accountable for the consequences of his actions, even though there was no evidence linking him directly to the looting and arson at the mall. Cannon said:
Plainly put, the accused must be sentenced as though he personally set the Brookside Mall on fire.
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The accused’s actions had far-reaching consequences. Not only was the Brookside Mall set alight, lives and livelihoods were lost.
He said the sentence aims to balance the public interest and deter others from committing similar crimes.
In January, 65 other alleged instigators are expected to appear in the KwaZulu-Natal High Court in Durban, where they will face charges of terrorism and sedition in addition to other charges. This follows the transfer of the case from the Durban Regional Court. Earlier this month, former radio personality Ngizwe Mchunu was acquitted of incitement charges related to the unrest, maintaining his innocence throughout the trial.
