4 people accused of instigating 2021 July unrest due to appear in court

JOHANNESBURG - Four people accused of instigating the July 2021 unrest are due to appear in the Roodepoort Magistrates Court on Wednesday.

Bekuyise Cebekhulu from KwaZulu-Natal, along with Gauteng residents Jimmy Sibeko, Busisiwe Skhosana and Bogadi Mahisa, were handcuffed in June.

They are expected to make their second court appearance, facing charges of incitement to cause public violence.

The unrest was triggered by the arrest of former president Jacob Zuma.

One person has been convicted since the unrest four years ago.

In 2023, Pietermaritzburg-based security guard Mdumiseni Zuma was sentenced to 12 years in prison for his role in the chaos.

The unrest, which took place in KwaZulu-Natal and Gauteng, resulted in the deaths of more than 350 people and caused billions of rands in infrastructure damage.

It’s alleged that the four accused persons ran a WhatsApp group called "Zuma Real Activist 100%".

The State said they used this group to circulate inflammatory messages that contributed to the unrest.