Govt not considering commission of inquiry into unrest, says Ntshavheni
Acting Minister in the Presidency Khumbudzo Ntshavheni says government is not considering instituting a commission of inquiry into the civil unrest.
Ntshavheni provided an update on the aftermath of the unrest on Friday.
The violence and looting has now claimed the lives of more than 330 people.
“The commission of inquiry is established when the facts at hand are not known to say who is liable. In this instance the police and law enforcement agencies in general are fully confident that they are aware of the facts at hand and will be able to hold those accountable and be held liable.
“For now we are not considering a commission of inquiry depending on the progress that will be achieved on the matter. Then the president will decide whether to institute a commission of inquiry into the matter, but that will be based on facts and if there’s uncertainty of facts relating to the matter.”
It’s been almost two weeks since thousands of people blocked strategic routes, burned trucks and looted shopping malls in Gauteng and KwaZulu-Natal, in what began as protests agains the jailing of former president Jacob Zuma.
Since then close to 2000 people have been arrested for looting while more than 330 people lost their lives.
Five more people have been arrested in connection to the murders of at least 23 people in Phoenix in northern KZN.
This brings the total number of people arrested for murder in KwaZulu-Natal to 20.
