South Africa Riots: How Jacob Zuma's connection to Gupta Brothers triggered violence

South Africa is currently experiencing its worst violence since the end of apartheid in the early 1990s and full democratisation was declared across the nation. The unrest reportedly began over the Court's ruling to arrest and jail the country's former President Jacob Zuma, culminating years of political turmoil.

The 79-year-old former Zuma is an activist who represented Nelson Mandela's African National Congress and served as South Africa's President from 2009 to 2018 before he stepped down over alleged corruption charges.

South Africa riots and Jacob Zuma's surrender

Zuma was charged with allegations of taking bribes for government contracts, allowing influential businesspeople to select Ministers in his Cabinet and other particularly dicey claims. Some allegations also mentioned that he misused government funds for personal gains. However, Zuma denies all charges and claims innocence.

It must be noted that for several years, Zuma and his administration ignored the government commission's orders to appear before the inquiry panel. On June 29, South Africa's highest court sentenced Zuma to 15 months in prison for contempt of court, as he continued to disobey court orders to be present for a formal hearing.

After repeated requests and summons turning into warnings, Jacob Zuma turned himself in to authorities on July 7 to begin serving a 15-month sentence for contempt of court. However, shortly after he surrendered riots exacerbated in his home district near Zulu, before spreading to major South African cities, including Johannesburg and Durban. The Jacob Zuma Foundation has since issued a statement delivered as a veiled threat that explained 'Peace and stability is directly linked to the release of President Zuma'.

South Africa's economic crisis

The press release has only added fuel to the fire as riots have grown rapidly in the country. South Africa is also experiencing an economic crisis aggravated by a third COVID-19 lockdown, implemented in June 2021 as the country faces its biggest COVID-19 wave.

Lockdowns have battered South Africa's already struggling economy, which shrank by an annualised 51 per cent in a single quarter in 2020. An estimated 16 per cent of South Africans currently face hunger and starvation after the government's stimulus package expired last month.

After apartheid, South Africa was poised for rapid economic growth, however, the economy has tanked with rampant unemployment and economic stagnation, often attributed to corruption and poor governance. While the riots were kicked off after Zuma's surrender, it cannot be denied the worsening economic conditions have also fueled the violence and people are now rioting against a government that they believe hasn't met their basic needs.

Scale of violence

Rioters have reportedly torched buildings, looted shopping centres and clashed with police which has led to the death of as many as 72 people and the arrest of over 1,200 so far. To keep the violence in check, on Monday, July 12, South Africa deployed 25,000 soldiers to help end the unrest. All this while the Indian government has raised concerns about the safety of the Indian community in South Africa.

Riots which began as protests in Zulu-Natal, escalated into looting in nearby townships as well. South Africa's consumer goods regulatory body estimates that more than 800 shops are documented to have been plundered so far. With stores and warehouses plundered in Johannesburg, Durban and other areas, supply chains of food, fuel and medicine have been severely hit, on which most of the country depends. As the unrest continues, factories and warehouses were set on fire after being targeted in arson attacks.

Is the Indian community in South Africa affected?

Incidents of clashes have been reported in Durban between Black South Africans and counterparts of Indian heritage. Notably, of the charges against former President Zuma, key allegations include the Gupta family, which originally hails from UP but moved to South Africa in 1993. The family which owns far-reaching influence in several industries namely coal mines, computer manufacturing and newspapers, had also been warned by Interpol and issued a red corner notice over a 2016 graft report.

Following the clash, Police Minister Bheki Cele visited Phoenix, a predominantly Indian community where 15 people were killed. Shortly after, #PhoenixMassacre was trending online. "The Indian nation here in Zulu-Natwa is the second largest outside of India," the new Zulu king, Misizulu Zulu, said in an appeal to his community on Wednesday. "We have lived in peace for many years alongside them. Therefore I ask: Let us be understanding and thoughtful towards each other." The current President Cyril Ramaphosa also reached out to the Indian community and assured them that the attacks were not racially motivated following the incident.

Who are Gupta Brothers?

The Gupta brothers was a small business family that hailed from Saharanpur in Uttar Pradesh. The family initially moved to South Africa in 1993 when the country was opening up to the world at the end of apartheid. They have been known to trade from shoes to electronics, coal mining to automobiles in the country. And as their business flourished they reportedly developed more political connections and entered many other industries as well.

In 2016, South Africa saw a major political controversy, even remembered as Guptagate at the time. The conflict was over allegations that the Gupta Brothers had promised the then deputy Finance Minister a Cabinet position as the Finance Minister if he advanced their business interests. The Gupta Brothers allegedly also promised to pay 600 million Rands (Rs 300 crores).

Around the same time, former Finance Minister and person of Indian origin Pravin Gordhan alleged that the Gupta Brothers were responsible for removing him from Jacob Zuma's government, only to further their business interests. Following this, over 1 lakh emails were leaked establishing an incriminating link between the Gupta Brothers and the Zuma government.

In 2018, after the Opposition banded together to bring a no-confidence motion against Jacob Zuma, the ANC also suffered a humiliating defeat in the elections and the former President had to step down. The Gupta Brothers then soon fled to Dubai, where they are currently rumoured to reside.

Who is the Zulu King?

Zulu King is the present head of the Zulu royal family, King Misuzulu kaZwelithini. He was announced as the King on the day of his mother's funeral, Queen regent Mantfombi Dlamini, who died unexpectedly on 29 April 2021.

It can be noted a British ship arrived in South Africa carrying 342 Indians in November 1860, and today it is home to one of the largest populations with over 1 million people of Indian descent on the continent and elsewhere