By Lehlohonolo Lehana.
Former security guard Mdumiseni Zuma has been handed a 12-year prison term for incitement in relation to looting and a fire at Brookside Mall during the July 2021 riots.
Zuma was sentenced to 10 years imprisonment for count 1, two years of which are suspended for five years on condition he is not convicted of the same offence during the period of suspension.
He was also sentenced to six years imprisonment, two years of which are to run concurrently with count 1. This results in the effective sentence of 12 years direct imprisonment.
In September, Zuma was convicted on charges of committing public violence and incitement to commit arson.
The charges are linked to the widespread looting and destruction that occurred at the Pietermaritzburg Brookside Shopping Mall during the unrest.
At the time of the incident, Zuma served as a security guard at the mall.
The thirty-six-year-old’s guilty verdict followed a trial that shed light on his role in the turmoil.
During his testimony, Zuma admitted to recording a video encouraging people to participate in the looting, but he claimed it was a prank and insisted that he was under the influence of alcohol at the time.
National Prosecuting Authority spokesperson Natasha Kara said this was the first case in KwaZulu-Natal where somebody has been convicted and sentenced for inciting people to commit public violence.
“When the state put its best case forward, that was all in terms of the evidence that we submitted before the court. The state was confident, but we were also alleging, and we maintained that the offences were serious and we wanted the sentence to be in keeping with that.
“The state-led video footage as well as audio clips and those spoke for themselves because you could see the individual on the footage and the state further asked for the translation of the audio clips which were comments of incitement.”
She said four years of his sentence had been suspended.
“For count one, he was sentenced to 10 years imprisonment, and of that, two years were suspended for a period of five years on condition that he is not convicted of the same offence during the period of suspension.
“For the second count, he was sentenced to six years imprisonment. Of those, two years will run concurrently with those of count one.”
More than 350 people were killed during the July 2021 riots in KwaZulu-Natal and Gauteng.
The anarchy was triggered by the arrest of former president Jacob Zuma, who was in contempt of a court order.
During the weeklong mayhem, shops and factories were closed with the total cost to the economy said to be more than R50 billion.
Meanwhile Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) leader Julius Malema believes Zuma did not have the right legal representation and has pledged to step in.
Reacting to the judgement,Malema said his party would assist Zuma.
“I don’t think the so-called July 2021 instigator Mdumiseni Zuma had proper legal representation. I’ve since asked our KZN provincial chair to get the facts and how we can be of assistance.”
Earlier this month, alleged instigator and former Ukhozi FM radio personality Ngizwe Mchunu was found not guilty.
Mchunu faced charges related to the public violence that led to the destruction of properties during the July unrest of 2021, as well as contravening the Covid-19 regulations and Disaster Management Act.