Mistrust, racism sparked unrest
Findings noted historical tensions between Indians and Africans in Phoenix in July 2021
RACIST social media messages, a lack of intervention by Indian police officers, and private security companies “taking the law into their own hands”, were among the key drivers of the “racially motivated” attacks in Phoenix during the July 2021 unrest.
These were some of the findings of the SA Human Rights Commission (SAHRC) when it released its 252 page report on Monday into the unrest that broke out in KwaZulu-Natal and Gauteng.
It also found that historical references by victims during interviews to the “racialised” events that occurred in Cato Manor in 1949 and in Inanda in 1985, “justifies, explains or clarifies the interracial violence between Africans and Indians” in Phoenix.
The mayhem that unfolded from July 9 to 18, 2021, resulted in 353 people being killed and more than 100 injured. It affected 40 000 businesses, 50 000 informal traders and put 150 000 jobs at risk. The financial damage was estimated at R50billion.
The commission investigated a number of issues stemming from the unrest, including the looting, the causes of the unrest, the political factors that were at play, the damage, and allegations of racially motivated attacks.
The commission’s investigation ran from November 15 to December 3, 2021, and included interviews with affected parties, private individuals, civil and government officials and private security companies.
It found that the unrest created a climate of fear and tension, prompting many people of all races to take to the streets in an effort to protect their homes and neighbourhoods, particularly in the absence of visible policing.
Philile Ntuli, SAHRC chief operating officer, said amid this climate, the generalising notion of “swart gevaar” (the perceived threat of black individuals) began to emerge, or to re-emerge from dormant places.
“This contributed to a generalised fear and suspicion of the intentions of black African people during the unrest. Submissions received suggest that the incidents in Phoenix and surrounding areas were viewed by some in the Indian community as necessitated by a legitimate concern that African people would, once they had looted all the shops of their goods, descend upon Indian neighbourhoods and homes to rob and steal.
“As the propaganda travelled through social media channels, communities, some working with security companies, formed street committees to regulate movement and to protect their community. Yet amid the absence of evidence to legitimise the threat, what is left is a reconstruction of a historical trope: that of a fearsome African man.”
During the hearings, the SAHRC received multiple testimonies that sought to connect the racialised violence that occurred in July 2021, especially between African and Indian persons and communities, to the riots in Cato Manor and Inanda.
“It does appear from the references made to 1949 and 1985, that the events have been communicated either directly or indirectly across generations in ways that have the potential of influencing the views of present reality.
“These historical events, when considered alongside the racially motivated killings and assaults during the July unrest, highlight the importance of addressing broader social harmony issues to prevent such incidents from recurring in the future.
“There was a significant number of racially motivated killings and assaults that occurred at numerous roadblocks, especially throughout Phoenix. The level of organisation involved in these acts, coupled with the lack of intervention by the mainly Indian police officers stationed at the SAPS office, and racist social media messages in circulation, points to a larger racial problem within the community,” Ntuli added.
The commission found that online communication and co-ordination played a role in fuelling the violence during the unrest.
“The commission found that through the creation and dissemination of inflammatory content, social media amplified grievances, stoked fear and anger, and mobilised individuals towards disruptive actions.
“Social media and the nature of moving towards the fourth industrial revolution calls upon the government to halt any traditional way of thinking and to operationalise the gathering of intelligent information from social media platforms. It was clear from the evidence obtained that mechanisms to gather information to counter the weaponisation of these platforms are available.
“The State did not have the capability or the mechanisms to adequately address and combat misinformation – and if they had it, they did not employ it effectively,” Ntuli said.
The commission further found a concerning lack of awareness among the public regarding their online duties and responsibilities in practising responsible communication on social media platforms.
“This lack of awareness clearly had severe consequences, leading to various offences such as incitement, hate speech, and harassment being committed during the unrest.”
With regard to the social, economic and political factors prevalent in the various affected areas and the extent to which these played a role in the unrest, the commission found: The acts which occurred during the unrest were orchestrated.
“The blocking of the N3 and the N2, the calculated destruction of factories and warehouses, the organised disconnection of security and fire alarm systems, the attack on government communication facilities at the Durban Port, and the bombing and removal of ATMs, together cannot be viewed as mutually distinct.”
These events point to a significant investment in the execution of the July unrest, the report found.
“The evidence further points to two types of actors in and during the unrest.
“Primary actors, who were well resourced, led and executed the widespread destruction of property, and perpetrated arson attacks.
“They in turn mobilised secondary actors, who participated in acts of theft at malls and other business premises,” the report read.
It found that the unrest was not related to the incarceration of former president Jacob Zuma but it was probable the aim of the unrest to “destabilise the economy”.
The commission called on the police and the National Prosecuting Authority to make a conclusive finding on the cause of the unrest.
Ntuli said the violence and destruction during the unrest were “symptomatic of unresolved systemic conditions, including post-Covid-19 economic recovery, high unemployment, lawlessness, discrimination, socio-economic divides, and insufficient security expertise”.
She added that the unrest occurred amidst a tense social, economic, and political period in South Africa.
“At the time, the country, and world, were still struggling to come to terms with the costs of the Covid-19 pandemic. The country was on adjusted Alert Level 4 from June 28 to July 25, 2021. In the period immediately prior to the declaration of the pandemic, the International Monetary Fund had described South Africa as ‘an extremely unequal society, with high and rising unemployment’. By June 2021 South Africa had moved from a 29% unemployment rate to a recorded all-time high of 34.4%,” Ntuli said.
The commission also found that the unrest had escalated due to the government’s failure to effectively share crime intelligence.
“This refers to the inability to gather timely and accurate information about potential threats and to share it among relevant security agencies. The SAPS was ill-prepared to deal with the orchestrated attacks. This might include insufficient training, equipment, or resources to effectively respond to the situation.
“The lack of appropriate action in response to the initial signs of unrest led to criminal activities. The failure to promptly address and counter digital orchestration and instigation through social media and other online platforms allowed the unrest to grow.
“The SAPS failed to detect the planning and execution of the unrest, which falls within its mandate.
“Excessive secrecy, insufficient resources and a lack of technological capability appear to have been the cause of the failure to detect and respond effectively to the planned unrest. Early warning signs were disregarded, and intelligence gathering and sharing were ineffective. There was a total breakdown in law and order in the affected areas for at least five days,” the report said.
It also found that the Private Security Industry Regulatory Authority (PSiRA) had failed in its mandate to report and address contraventions of the law.
“The evidence indicates that private security companies operated with an unregulated and unchecked policing power, including irregularly acting as Public Order Policing units without appropriate crowd management training. Security companies appeared to have usurped the roles of the SAPS due to the capacity limitations within the SAPS.”
Ntuli said the July unrest should be taken as a “marker and a lesson”.
“The unrest was a wake-up call, nudging all of us into reality of the fragility of the peace and security some enjoy.”