South Africa deploys army over burning of trucks, braces for unrest over ex-president's court case

South Africa deployed the army in four of its provinces Friday after at least 21 trucks carrying goods were set on fire in various parts of the country over the past week. The move came amid concerns of more unrest over a court decision that could send former president Jacob Zuma back to jail, although authorities have denied they are connected.

The deployment of soldiers to support police in some parts of the country came a day after South Africa's apex Constitutional Court ruled that Zuma's release on medical parole in 2021 was invalid.

The Department of Corrections has not said if it will order Zuma back to jail to serve the remainder of a 15-month prison sentence, but his initial jailing two years ago sparked a week of violent protests that left more than 350 people dead in some of the worst violence South Africa had experienced in 30 years.

Police said they had no evidence that the torching of trucks was connected to the 2021 unrest or Zuma, but the decision in Zuma's court case clearly increased tensions.

The truck burnings appear to have started on Sunday, the second anniversary of the start of the 2021 protests.

This article originally appeared on the Independent

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