By Lehlohonolo Lehana.
The Minister of Trade and Industry Ebrahim Patel will on Friday morning appear before the South African Human Rights Commission’s (SAHRC) hearings into the Gauteng leg of the July 2021 unrest.
About 350 people died in the week-long spree of violence and looting that caused billions of rand in damages to businesses and infrastructure in KwaZulu-Natal and Gauteng.
On Thursday the commission heard that socio-economic challenges could have prompted residents of Soweto to loot many businesses. The commission is hearing evidence from community representatives from Soweto and Alexandra in Johannesburg. The week-long looting and violence severely impacted the businesses in the townships.
Meanwhile, the Concerned Residents of Alexandra said the African National Congress (ANC) should carry the blame for the July 2021 unrest.
Appearing before the commission on Thursday Benjamin Chisari, who represents the group, accused supporters of the “Release Jacob Zuma Campaign” of being the driving force behind the unrest.
“The drive for propaganda was the drive Zuma Campaign. That was propaganda enough to confuse the country. That was the propaganda that they were pushing. And that propaganda was funded from the ANC itself. We know that. In fact, including the way that it was mobilized hence I’m saying it was not an unrest. There are certain comrades within the ANC who wish if I were to tell you it should in closed session who were given resources to drive these things.”
Livestream Video Below:
Video Courtesy of SAHRC.