South Africa’s Unrest or an Attempted Insurrection? Violence in July

Abstract

Abstract The mass looting, death, and destruction in the two most populous provinces in South Africa over eight days in July 2021 caught the authorities by surprise and the attention of the world. What led to such widespread violence and why were the security agencies unable to control it? The purpose of this essay is to respond to these questions by examining the origins of the events of July. The first section discusses the political context that served as the catalyst for the violence. The second looks at the rise of popular protest in South Africa. The third provides an overview of events in July. The fourth focusses on the question of whether the events can be seen as an uprising or an attempted insurrection. The fifth provides a brief overview of the implications for the country and its law enforcement agencies, including some concluding remarks.