While violent unrest continues to grip KwaZulu-Natal and Gauteng, the government has confirmed that the wave of protests and looting have claimed the lives of 117 people, a sharp rise over a toll of 72 issued the previous day.
Acting Minister in the Presidency Khumbudzo Ntshavheni revealed the recorded deaths when addressing the media on Thursday, July 15, where she went on to confirm that of the 12 instigators alleged to be behind the unrest, one of them has been arrested, reports News24.
“The South African Police Service tracking team has increased the surveillance of the remaining 11,” she added.
Gauteng and KZN have been ravaged by violent protests over the past week.
However, Ntshavheni has stated that calm has largely been restored in Gauteng, while KwaZulu-Natal remained volatile but has made significant improvement, reports EWN.
“This has been largely due to increasing deployment of the South African National Defence Force. SAPS members have been in areas identified as potential hot spots,” she stated.
A further 139 suspects reportedly involved in the unrest have been arrested in Gauteng, increasing the number of arrests to 725 in the province.
