Violent pro-Zuma protests have taken place in South Africa over the jailing of former president, Jacob Zuma.
Police say more than 60 protesters have been arrested for participating in violent agitations as they make effort to bring the violence under control.
This is the first time such pro-Zuma protests are taking place on the streets after the former leader was processed for prison on Wednesday.
He handed himself over to the police and was admitted to prison to serve his 15-month sentence for being in contempt of court.
But police the protests are now being infiltrated by criminals who are taking advantage of the chaos.
Hundreds of people were involved in an incident in which one police officer was shot in Alexandra, a township in Johannesburg.
The protests first started from Zuma’s home province of KwaZulu-Natal, then to Johannesburg, in Gauteng.
There have been reports of looting in both Johannesburg and KwaZulu-Natal.
South Africa’s President Cyril Ramaphosa on Sunday appealed for calm saying that “there are those who may be hurt and angry”, but “there can never be any justification for such violent, destructive and disruptive actions”.
The jailing of a former president is unprecedented in South Africa, which has been gripped by Zuma’s legal turmoil.
Mr. Zuma has said that the apartheid government treated him better than the current one after he was last week found guilty of contempt of court.
The verdict was delivered by the country’s constitutional court after he failed to appear and participate at the state capture inquiry.
Mr. Zuma said going to jail without trial was something he fought against during the white-minority apartheid rule.
“Sending me to jail during the height of a pandemic at my age is the same as sentencing me to death,” he said.
The former president said he believed courts were being used by his political opponents to settle scores.
Mr. Zuma since leaving office in 2018 has been facing several corruption allegations and had appeared before a commission investigating the state capture scandal.
The scandal involves businessmen accused of conspiring with politicians to influence the decision-making process.
South Africa: Jacob Zuma in prison to serve 15-month jail term
Source: Africafeeds.com
