- 22 people accused of instigating last year’s deadly riots in South Africa granted bail.
- Charges stem from looting and public violence in parts of KwaZulu-Natal in July 2021.
- Over 300 people were killed in the unrest that erupted after former president Jacob Zuma’s resignation.
A South African court has granted bail to 22 people accused of instigating last year’s deadly riots in the country.
The charges stem from looting and public violence in parts of KwaZulu-Natal in July 2021.
Over 300 people were killed in the unrest that erupted after South Africa’s former president, Jacob Zuma, was sentenced to prison for contempt of court.
Bail for the suspects, who have been charged with conspiracy to commit public violence, incitement to commit public violence, and incitement to commit arson, has been set at slightly more than $180 (£150).
Among the bail conditions was a prohibition on discussing the case on social media.
The suspects were apprehended after investigators combed through their online postings.
Despite the fact that over 5,000 people have been arrested in connection with last year’s violence, authorities have come under fire for the low number of prosecutions.
The government announced last month that approximately 50 cases had resulted in guilty verdicts, with thousands resolved through non-prosecution.
South Africa is still attempting to recover from the estimated $4 billion in economic damage.
South African President Cyril Ramaphosa called the violence a “attempted insurgency” at the time.
