2021 riots in South Africa were a test to see if the state could be paralysed – Thabo Mbeki

Former President Thabo Mbeki dismissed the idea that the July 2021 riots were a spontaneous defence of Jacob Zuma. Instead, he said it was a test.

He made this accusation during an address at the inaugural conference of the uMkhonto weSizwe Liberation War Veterans.

The July 2021 unrest was the deadliest and most destructive period of civil unrest in South Africa since the end of apartheid. It primarily affected the provinces of KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) and Gauteng.

It was widely reported that the unrest, also known as the July Riots, was triggered by the imprisonment of former President Jacob Zuma.

On 7 July 2021, Zuma handed himself over to authorities to begin a 15-month sentence for contempt of court after refusing to testify at the Zondo Commission of Inquiry into state capture.

Protests initially began as “Free Jacob Zuma” demonstrations in his home province of KwaZulu-Natal but rapidly escalated.

The situation quickly evolved from political protests into widespread looting, arson, and the destruction of infrastructure.

Over 3,000 stores and approximately 160 malls were looted or damaged. Major logistics arteries, including the N3 highway, were closed after trucks were torched.

Warehouses, factories, and distribution centres were set alight, causing massive supply chain disruptions for food and medicine.

The violence resulted in the deaths of 354 people. While many died during stampedes in looted malls or in fires, others were killed in clashes between different communities.

In Phoenix, north of Durban, racial tensions flared, leading to a series of killings that further polarised the region.

The South African Police Service (SAPS) was widely criticised for being overwhelmed and slow to react.

In the absence of effective policing, many residents formed neighbourhood watch groups to protect malls and suburbs, sometimes using roadblocks and armed patrols.

It eventually took the deployment of 25,000 South African National Defence Force (SANDF) troops to restore order.

The 2021 riots were a test – Thabo Mbeki

Mbeki said it was a lie that the unrest was about defending Zuma. Instead, it was a planned test by counter-revolutionaries to see if they could paralyse the state.

“The story that is told about the mayhem in July 2021 is that the people were angry because the ANC allowed Jacob Zuma to be sentenced and sent to jail,” he said.

“The story that the people were so angry that they stood up in solidarity with former President Jacob Zuma is a lie. It is a complete lie.”

Mbeki said what really happened was that the counter-revolution set out to test its strength. “They wanted to see if they could destabilise a country,” he said.

“It acted and caused the mayhem to see if it could paralyse South Africa for its own purposes.”

He cited former deputy chief of the South African Army, General Roland de Vries, who said the 2021 riots were meticulously planned and executed.

“It showed that the state, including the South African Police Service, did not have the capacity to defend the democratic country,” he said.

Mbeki alleged that the true intention of the riots was covered up by using the story that it was an uprising in solidarity with Jacob Zuma.

He further alleged that roadblocks in leafy suburbs set up by white men carrying military rifles were “commandos” of the old South African Defence Force (SADF).

“The roadblocks were not from the police or the army. They were manned by white male residents carrying military rifles,” he said.

“You know who those people were. Those people were the commandos. They were the old commandos of the SADF, which never got dismantled.”