South Africa: WhatsApp, Terror and Zondo - July 2021 Unrest Accused Finally Face Trial

Nearly five years after South Africa's deadliest unrest in the democratic era, 62 accused are due in the KZN High Court to face terrorism, sedition and insurrection-related charges. Prosecutors allege three WhatsApp groups coordinated the violence that left 354 people dead and sought to force Jacob Zuma's release. On Monday, 20 July, Gods Surprise Ntuli (48) is set to lead a group of 62 people accused of terrorism and insurrection over eight bloody days in July 2021 into the dock of the KwaZulu-Natal High Court in Durban. All the accused -- bar one who lives in Tumahole in the Free State -- are from KZN or the East Rand. They face charges that include terrorism, sedition and conspiracy to murder Judge Raymond Zondo. Zondo's name and home address were shared on WhatsApp groups after Jacob Zuma was sentenced to 15 months in jail in June 2021 for contempt when he defied an order to attend the State Capture inquiry. Zuma was jailed for less than two months and released on a dodgy medical parole decision that was later overturned in court. But President Cyril Ramaphosa then passed a "special remission" in August 2023 to prevent prison overcrowding, from which the former head of state (capture) benefited. It is almost five years to the day since South Africa was taken to the edge of the abyss when the alleged perpetrators organised themselves on three WhatsApp groups. To protest against Zuma's jailing, they allegedly prosecuted a campaign of...