The unrest that engulfed the country in July 2021 took many by surprise.
Part of the reason was that nothing similar had ever happened under the post-apartheid political dispensation.
The unrest reminded us of the political turmoil under apartheid, evidenced in protest marches and the subsequent loss of life due to the ruthless response by the regime to the masses’ genuine demands. The July unrest had devastating consequences that, sometimes, even surpassed some of the protests under apartheid.
The number of people who died during those few days
