President Cyril Ramaphosa is expected to appear before the SA Human Rights Commission’s (SAHRC) investigative hearings on Friday to testify about “his responsibility as the head of state” during the July 2021 unrest.
A wave of civil unrest between July 9 and 18, which was sparked by the imprisonment of former president Jacob Zuma for contempt of court, engulfed KwaZulu-Natal and Gauteng, leading to the deaths of more than 300 people.
The violence also saw economic losses running into over R50-billion and eroded the economic growth recorded in the first half of 2021, said Finance Minister Enoch Godogwana during his maiden Budget speech in February.
The finance minister said the re-emergence of load-shedding, restrictions to deal with the third wave of Covid-19, and the strike in the manufacturing sector also slowed down South Africa’s economic recovery.
The Presidency said in a statement on Thursday: “Our economic recovery has been uneven and risks remain high. We must proceed with caution. In the 2021 MTBPS [medium-term budget policy statement], we committed ourselves to charting a course towards growth and fiscal sustainability.
“The commission [SAHRC] launched the investigative hearings to exercise its constitutional and statutory mandate in relation to the causes of the unrest, as well as the impact of the unrest on human rights.”
The hearings commenced on November 15 2021 in KwaZulu-Natal. The Gauteng leg of the hearings resumed on February 21 to March 4.
Political bigwigs including the Speaker of the National Assembly Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqukula, Gauteng premier David Makhura, KwaZulu-Natal premier Sihle Zikalala, and outgoing national police commissioner Khehla Sitole have already given evidence with regards to their governmental duties.
Ramaphosa’s hearing on Friday is expected to be held in Sandton.
Also read: SAHRC commences hearings into July unrest
July unrest hit local economy hard
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