S.Africa's unrest death toll rises to 32 as looting continues
Soldiers stepped up deployment in South Africa on Tuesday on a mission to quell looting sparked by the jailing of ex-president Jacob Zuma as the death toll from the violence rose to 32, AFP reported.
President Cyril Ramaphosa announced late Monday that he was dispatching troops to help overwhelmed police halt the unrest and "restore order."
But stores in Johannesburg and Pietermaritzburg, the capital of southeastern KwaZulu-Natal province, were hit by looters for a fifth day running.
Dozens of women, some wearing their dressing gowns, men and even children strolled into a butcher's cold store in the Johannesburg suburb of Soweto, coming out balancing heavy boxes of frozen meat on their shoulders or heads.
A sole private security guard stood by helplessly, frantically trying to make calls.
Police showed up three hours later, and fired rubber bullets.
The unrest erupted last Friday after Zuma started serving a 15-month term for snubbing a probe into the corruption that stained his nine years in power.
The toll in KwaZulu-Natal stands at 26, premier Sihle Zikalala told a news conference on Tuesday, a day after officials confirmed six deaths in Gauteng province.
"These were people killed during stampedes as protesters ran riot," Zikalala said, without specifying which parts of the province.
At least 757 people have been arrested, Police Minister Bheki Cele told a news conference, with most of the arrests taking place in Johannesburg, South Africa's economic capital.
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