President Cyril Ramaphosa will on Friday testify before the South African Human Rights Commission (SAHRC) hearings into last July’s bloody and deadly unrest, the SAHRC announced on Tuesday.
The SAHRC is holding the hearings to probe the 2021 unrest when more than 300 people died and over US$2 billion of property was damaged in a two-week rampage of looting and burning in KwaZulu-Natal and Gauteng provinces.
“The president will appear before the hearing panel and give testimony with regard to his responsibility as the head of state and the head of South Africa’s executive regarding the July 2021 unrest in KwaZulu-Natal and Gauteng,” the SAHRC said.
The unrest was triggered by the incarceration of former president Jacob Zuma for contempt of court after he ignored a Constitutional Court order to appear before a commission probing high-level corruption during his tenure.
The SAHRC hearings kicked off in KwaZulu Natal last November.
Ministers from the Justice, Crime Prevention and Security cluster have already testified at the hearings as well as victims, high ranking police officials and other witnesses of interest.
Meanwhile, the SAHRC’s Eastern Cape provincial office is expected to launch a report soon on the current violence in schools following a dialogue on the topic held last year.
“The launch aims to raise awareness on the continued rampant violence in schools. Recommendations and comments stemming from the dialogue will be ventilated with the relevant departments in attendance,” the commission said.
NM/jn/APA