Four Somalis die in South Africa as Zuma supporters clash with police
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Staff reporter Garowe Online
- Posted On 13-07-2021, 10:12AM
CAPTE TOWN - At least four Somalia nationals have been killed in South Africa and their businesses destroyed as supporters of jailed former President Jacob Zuma continued to terrorize businesses in the country, which is yet to heal from xenophobic attacks.
State media says the four were killed by rowdy goons believed to be supporting the estranged former president, who is in jail for contempt of court, and could remain in a state correctional facility for the next 15 months. Zuma has been facing corruption charges.
Also, the state media added, at least two other Somalis have been critically injured and are receiving treatment in one of the medical facilities in South Africa. They were all attacked by the goons randomly in different provinces within South Africa.
"Four Somali citizens have been killed, two others seriously injured, one still missing and around 20 shops owned by Somali Nationals looted in South Africa’s unrest in the past 72 hours," Somalia's state media reported.
"Four Somali citizens have been killed, two others seriously injured and one still missing in South Africa’s unrest in Zulu Land, KZN, families and friends confirmed."
There are many Somali immigrants in South Africa, most of them of who is established, business people. They own businesses across the country but their exact number could not be established given that they are scattered around South Africa.
In previous years, they have been a target in xenophobic attacks which have also ravaged the South African nation, which is barely 30 years old since the defeat of the apartheid minority rulers. Several people were killed in 2019 following xenophobic attacks in South Africa.
The Constitutional Court on June 29 slapped Zuma with the prison stretch for refusing to appear before a probe into the corruption that mired his nine years in power. Zuma is seeking to have that ruling set aside on the grounds that it was made in his absence, AFP reported.
On Monday, the court was to hear submissions from Zuma's teams over his release, with analysts arguing that his continued incarceration would further plunge the country into serious chaos.
Should the bid fail, Zuma's team will seek to convince the judges that jail time is not the appropriate punishment for this instance of contempt, due to reasons including the implications for Zuma's health, according to an information handout for media from the court on Saturday.
Zuma, 79, is also asking to be released from the Estcourt prison in the eastern KwaZulu-Natal province on the grounds of his age and ailing health, adding that the ongoing pandemic means he is not a flight risk.
The man once dubbed the "Teflon president", spent his first night in jail on Thursday after handing himself into authorities following hours of drama and suspense.
His lawyers had also petitioned the Pietermaritzburg High Court in KwaZulu-Natal to stave off imprisonment. But on Friday it rejected the case, saying it lacked jurisdiction over the matter and Zuma's claims about his health were "not supported by any evidence."
The former president testified to the commission once in July 2019, but then swiftly withdrew his cooperation, saying he was offended by being treated as an "accused" and not as a witness.
He returned in November 2020, without uttering a word, and missed several subsequent appointments by evading his summonses on various grounds, including medical reasons, lack of funds, and his request to have the chairman of the commission, then-deputy chief justice Raymond Zondo, recuse himself.
GAROWE ONLINE
