South Africa regional official announced on Tuesday that 22 more people have died as a result of the unrest erupting in South Africa, bringing the total number of persons killed in the country to 32.
Premier Sihle Zikalala told a news conference on Tuesday that the death toll in KwaZulu-Natal province had risen to 26, a day after officials verified six deaths in Gauteng province.
“These were people killed during stampedes as protesters ran riot,” he said, without specifying which parts of the province.
President Cyril Ramaphosa dispatched troops on Monday to assist police in quelling the rioting and looting caused by ex-president Jacob Zuma’s detention.
The turmoil is centered on southeastern KwaZulu-Natal, Zuma’s home province.
Protests erupted last week, just days after Zuma began serving a 15-month sentence for obstructing an investigation into the corruption that tainted his nine years in power.
So far, the violence has been limited to the two most populous provinces of KwaZulu-Natal and Gauteng, which is home to Johannesburg’s economic center.
