Address by President Cyril Ramaphosa on acts of violence and destruction of property
12 July 2021

Address by President Cyril Ramaphosa on acts of violence and destruction of property

My Fellow South Africans,

I address you this evening with a heavy heart.

Over the past few days and nights, there have been acts of public violence of a kind rarely seen in the history of our democracy.

Property has been vandalised and destroyed.

Shops have been looted.

Law-abiding citizens have been threatened and intimidated.

Workers are scared that they may not be able to return to work.

People have died.

At this hour, there are several families in our country that are in mourning.

I speak of the families of Nkosikhona Chiza, Ndumiso Shezi, Khaya Mkhize, Zethembe Ndwandwe, Lindani Bhengu and Lindokuhle Gumede in Gauteng. I speak of the families of Bhekani Ndlovu, Themba Mthembu, Aphiwe Gama and Cebo Dlamini in KwaZulu-Natal.

Even as we know the high cost of this violence to property, to livelihoods and to businesses, the loss of human life is the greatest cost of all.

As a nation our thoughts and prayers are with these families.

Many South Africans are at this hour counting the cost to their livelihoods and property, to their shops and businesses, to their safety and security.

Many more South Africans are feeling anxious and afraid.

Parts of the country are reeling from several days and nights of public violence, destruction of property and looting of the sort rarely seen before in the history of our democracy.