South Africa is increasing by tenfold the number of troops deployed to combat widespread violence sparked by the imprisonment of former president Jacob Zuma.
South Africa is deploying up to 25,000 soldiers in two provinces where security forces are struggling to quell looting, arson and violence.Food and fuel supplies are running shortA military surge of that size would increase tenfold the number of soldiers deployed in the hotspots of KwaZulu-Natal and Gauteng provinces, where the police and army have been battling unrest for days.
More than 70 people have been killed in the unrest, the worst in South Africa for years, and hundreds of businesses have been destroyed. Food and fuel supplies are running short.But in signs of a public backlash, residents in some areas on Wednesday turned suspected looters in to police, blocked entrances to malls and in some cases armed themselves as vigilantes to form roadblocks or scare offenders away.
Citizens armed with guns, many from South Africa's white minority, blocked off streets to prevent further plundering, in Durban, Reuters TV footage showed.More than 1,200 people have been arrested so far, according to the authorities.Security forces say they have arrested more than 1,200 people. And President Cyril Ramaphosa met with political party leaders on Wednesday to discuss the unrest.
"It's not about Zuma, it's about poverty," a man who gave his name as Elijah said, as soldiers confiscated stolen items from his house in Alexandra.
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