A wave of rioting, looting, and violence tore across South Africa this week after former president Jacob Zuma was jailed, with mobs setting fire to and ransacking every storefront in sight. Unlike the U.S. Black Lives Matter riots in 2020, however, where police often protected looters and where armed citizens were arrested for defending property, citizens in South Africa have been allowed to protect themselves in several neighborhoods.
Video footage shows citizens engaging a massive contingent of looters on a roadway, using shotguns that appear to be loaded with birdshot and less-lethal ammunition. In another clip townspeople can be seen confronting looters with handguns on a busy street.
NEW – Armed citizens in Verulam (KZN) take it to the streets as the police are incapable of protecting lives or property from violent rioters in parts of South Africa.pic.twitter.com/j9Sm2ZUvYY
— Disclose.tv 🚨 (@disclosetv) July 12, 2021
Due to the widespread nature of the looting, civilians have taken to establishing roadblocks so that rioters may be searched for stolen goods and proof of having been involved in crimes.
suspected looters attacked #ShutdownSA pic.twitter.com/SZGj5Ln7B9
— Fleurhof Environmental Group (@FleurhofG) July 12, 2021
Communities are now looting from looters #ShutdownSA pic.twitter.com/6EYrlV8UdW
— Fleurhof Environmental Group (@FleurhofG) July 12, 2021
Police chasing looters #ShutdownSA pic.twitter.com/ExvAaizxlM
— Fleurhof Environmental Group (@FleurhofG) July 12, 2021
Several scenes of the riots were indistinguishable from those that ravaged Minneapolis, Minnesota in 2020.
should’ve gone with the 52 inchpic.twitter.com/AqD4NPyHF8
— pine_tree_riots (@pine_tree_riots) July 12, 2021
The South African police response has been largely mocked on social media, and seen as cowardly in several cities as looters run amuck.
