Riots in South Africa were pre-planned, accuses President Cyril Ramaphosa

Cape Town: President Cyril Ramaphosa made a serious accusation that the extreme violence, which erupted in South Africa, is part of a pre-planned plot by enemies of the country’s democracy. Ramaphosa also claimed that attempts to overthrow the ruling regime in South Africa had been foiled. Violent riots have erupted in the country over the imprisonment of former South African President Jacob Zuma. The riots have so far claimed more than 212 lives and have caused extensive property damage.

Violent riots have broken out in various parts of South Africa for more than a week. Troops have been deployed in many parts of the country, but the situation is still not under control. Against this backdrop, President Ramaphosa addressed the nation on Friday night to reassure the citizens. He also admitted that the government was not fully prepared to deal with the sudden onslaught of violence.

‘The violence, which erupted in the country over the past week, was a deliberate, well-planned and coordinated plot. The democracy in the country was deliberately attacked, and the instigators of the violence wanted to destabilize the country’s economy. The plan was to severely weaken or even dislodge the democratic state to overthrow the current president’s administration. The issues of poverty and unemployment have been exploited, and the lives of innocent people have been at stake’, said President Cyril Ramaphosa.

During the address, President Ramaphosa also made a special mention of the citizens of Indian descent who were victims of the riots. The South African president has claimed that week-long riots were pre-planned and targeted people of Indian descent. ‘The citizens of Indian descent are critical to South Africa, its economy, and society. We will ensure the safety of Indian citizens. They have nothing to worry about,’ Ramaphosa assured. Among the victims in South Africa’s riots, nearly 100 are said to be of Indian descent.

At the time, President Ramaphosa also asserted that the efforts to revolt against the South African government have failed, and there was no support from the citizens. He warned that unless those responsible for the violence in the country are dealt with, the threat remains. He also announced that the government would provide some financial assistance to compensate for the damage caused by the violence. Over the past week, eight factories as well as over 160 shopping malls, shops and warehouses were looted while many were set ablaze.

The media and analysts claimed that such widespread discontent and violence were seen for the first time since the 1994 coup in South Africa. Jacob Zuma, South Africa’s president from 2009 to 2018, has been charged with corruption. The Supreme Court has sentenced him to 15 months in jail for not cooperating in the investigation into the case.

This is for the first time in South Africa that a former president has been jailed. Nevertheless, Zuma’s supporters disagreed with this action, which is believed to be the cause of the violence. Some media outlets have also claimed that Zuma’s daughters have incited violence.