Faizel Patel – 16/072021

President Cyril Ramaphosa says the violent unrests  in Gauteng and KwaZulu-Natal was planned.

Ramaphosa  undertook an oversight visit to Ethekwini, KwaZulu-Natal on Friday to assess the impact of recent public violence and the deployment of security forces.

The President’s visit follows government’s engagement throughout this week with different sectors of society, including organised business, interfaith leaders and leaders of political parties represented in Parliament.

Ramaphosa says it is quite clear that all the incidents of looting were instigated.

“They were planned. We are after those people.We have identified the instigators for these incidences. We will not allow anarchy and mayhem to unfold in our country. It is so unfortunate that so much damage has been done and people have lost their lives.”

Ramaphosa conceded that  law enforcement could have done better to respond initially to the unrest but says the situation could have been much worse.

“We are going to have to re-examine everything that we do in defence of our people.”

Ramaphosa says the criticism of him saying it was ethnic mobilisation was viewed in a positive light.

He does concede though that government got it wrong.

“It’s not about ethnic mobilisation at all.”