One year after the politically motivated unrest rocked KwaZulu-Natal and parts of Gauteng, the President of Abahlali baseMjondolo S’bu Zikode, believes the country is sitting on a ticking time bomb for the next explosion.
Even a mere thought of another attack cannot be stomached by those still reeling from the aftermath of the looting and destruction in July last year.
Even worse for those in KwaZulu-Natal who were then hit by the devastating floods in April.
The economy, which was left in tatters, the weakened and, in some cases, fully destroyed infrastructure, and the mental state of those affected simply cannot deal with another blow.
But, Zikode - who testified at the Human Rights Commission of Inquiry into the unrest - believes not much has been done to prevent such an attack from happening again.
Speaking this week, Zikode raised questions around whether the issues that led to the unrest were ever really tackled and solid solutions put in place.
“We, as South Africa, can easily forget. It is another July now, and we haven’t really done anything to tackle all these elements that lead to the riots.
“It means we are sitting on a time bomb, and this could happen again, yet the province is still dealing with the consequences of the last attack,” he said.
Zikode, who represents the views of around 100,000 members of the shack dweller movement, said the July unrest was planned at a higher political level and did not come as a surprise to the authorities and those in leadership roles.
At that time, many were of the view that the riots and looting started after the jailing of former president Jacob Zuma, but Zikode said, in hindsight, one could tell that many people were “just hungry” and saw an opportunity and did not act in support of Zuma.
“The economic sabotage was real. It was targeted at the shopping malls and the key N3 corridor. People armed with hammers and tools to break down the doors to these malls were strategically placed, and it was left open for the poor masses to enter and loot.
“They were taking, not stealing. They took and left, but it was certainly not the same poor people who destroyed and burnt down these malls,” Zikode said.
He said in the months that followed the looting, the Abahlali baseMjondolo had to have “an open and honest” conversation among its members.
Zikode said there was shame and disgrace, but it was a much-needed conversation, where many honestly admitted to looting, stating that they were hungry and desperate. He said there were some who said they refused to partake in the looting as it went against their morals despite being in the midst of poverty.
“A year later, people are still hungry. Poverty, trauma, hunger and mental crisis is what they are left with. That looting spree was like Christmas for a day, and then life returned to the same, if not worse,” Zikode said.
“South Africa was born, raised, taught and is governed by violence. We cannot expect something else,” he said.
Looking ahead, Zikode says civil society, business and human rights organisations should elevate their duty to hold government responsible. He said the government should acknowledge its weaknesses and role in the July unrest.
Furthermore, Zikode said that communities should not be divided, as “divisions among the people will only allow the government to get away with murder”.
“The rich and middle-class must also learn to share. If there is a continuous disparity, then there will always be problems. We need to be more human to each other,” he said.
For Zikode, the questions remain:
“Have we really engaged in what happened?”
“Who are the real culprits, and will they ever face the consequences equal to their actions?”
“Can we really trust the government to take care of our best interests?”