Mxolisi Kaunda the ANC eThekwini mayor denies being a mastermind behind the July riots and looting.
Mxolis Kaunda went out in full force accusing all the criminal syndicates behind the July unrest in 2021, following the arresting of former President Jacob Zuma. This caused huge damage to infrastructure, the economy, and the lives of over 300 people. The eThewkwini mayor was made to testify before the SA Human Rights Commission’s national investigative hearings on Monday. He was questioned about the response of the metro and his declaration of support for Mtsholozi during the deadly riots. Kaunda revealed during the hearing that they were groups that were well organized who instigated their plans very well, They also bombed an ATM and this can be done by someone who knows how to do that. The same people saw an opportunity during this period under the disguise that they were angry about the arresting of former president Jacob Zuma.
Kaunda went on to. say these groups had long been in the province and had been behind the burning of trucks and pretended to be unhappy with the government about their interests. He said that the level of criminality which took place shows that there were opportunistic individuals who came on board and said, because people are angry, this is where their interests can find expression. He said that he thinks that is what transpired.
Evidence leader Buang Jones questioned Kaunda on what he made of the social media posts by Zuma’s backers in the lead-up to unrest, insults that were directed at President Cyril Ramaphosa and the current national leadership, which he said he opposed. He responded and said that some were openly instigating the violence and that he had openly expressed his opposition to it even though he did declare his support for Zuma. On his declaration, Kaunda said that a voice message circulated in the country said people must go and loot and kill Indian people and also go to the white community loot and kill them. Kaunda said as a leader he emphasized speaking about equality and people should not be discriminating by color, this he preached after the linkage of the voice note.
The eThewkwini mayor said while he was talking about these things he was being recorded and he also said while being recorded he merely repeated what the first voice note said and that made him look like an instigator. Kaunda said the video stopped there and they started to say he was telling people to go and kill Indians and white people. He said some people had been part of the looting spree because of their socio-omic conditions. Kaunda said that the thing that happened must be condoned, this does not mean if one has problems in life must commit a crime, but some people were just genuine and would see milk and say they cannot afford to buy milk and then help themselves.
Jones pressed Kaunda over his post on July 6 in which he said the support for Zuma was a well-guided and principled one and that there must be no detour from that mission. Kaunda said he had rebuked people who insulted Ramaphosa over Zuma’s arrest and that he had said they had to be both respected. Kaunda said that supporting Zuma was however part of his constitutionally protected rights of expression and association. He further said those rights are protected and therefore no one must touch you on the basis that you are raising support for an individual. There are people in this country that supported that Msholozi must fall and no one made noise about it.
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Source:https://www.sowetanlive.co.za/news/south-africa/2022-02-28-ethekwini-mayor-denies-instigating-july-riots-looting/
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