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Violent looting and unrest that were largely felt in KwaZulu-Natal after the arrest of former president Jacob Zuma, spread to other parts of the country on Sunday, including Gauteng and Mpumalanga.
The N3 in Durban remains closed after trucks and other motor vehicles were torched overnight.
The country’s largest taxi association, Santaco, halted operations in KwaZulu-Natal due to the ongoing violence and the Ethekwini municipality has announced the suspension of bus services, leaving thousands of commuters stranded.
In Johannesburg, Metrorail, Rea Vaya Bus Services and other modes of public transport were suspended on Monday due to safety concerns.
Business Day understands that the violence that erupted across the country on Sunday night was the peak of the unrest amid calls for a national shutdown on Monday.
The police have compiled a list of perpetrators connected to the violence in KwaZulu-Natal who will be arrested and charged, Business Day understands.
Protests began on Friday after the high court in Pietermaritzburg dismissed Zuma’s application to interdict his arrest pending the outcome of his rescission application at the Constitutional Court on Monday, July 12.
Protesters calling for Zuma’s release looted shops, torched trucks and closed off entrances along the province’s major highways.
Police have confirmed that they are monitoring parts of the Constitutional Court precinct in Braamfontein, Johannesburg, in light of flare-ups in the CBD on Sunday.
The violence rapidly spread to parts of Johannesburg, Mpumalanga and the Eastern Cape on Sunday night after President Cyril Ramaphosa condemned the violence and slated those who had organised and participated in the protests along ethnic lines and warned that law enforcement will arrest and prosecute those involved.
In Jeppe, protesters looted liquor and clothing stores after an intense standoff with police. Various protesters could be seen carrying sticks, tree branches and golf clubs as they marched along the streets of the CBD, chanting “Zuma!”.
Police said criminals and opportunists were taking advantage of the situation under the guise of the Free Zuma protests.
The national intelligence body, NATJoints, said law enforcement have heightened visibility and personnel in Gauteng and KwaZulu-Natal where the violence erupted.
By Sunday, police had arrested 62 people in connection with the violence in KwaZulu-Natal and Gauteng.
The suspects have been charged with public violence, burglary, malicious damage to property, and contravention of Covid-19 lockdown regulations.
This number is expected to increase as more arrests are made after the unrest on Sunday night.
This is a developing story.
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