Phill Magakoe/AFP
Nombulelo Shange and
Ntando Sindane write that for President Cyril Ramaphosa to label the unrest two weeks ago as illegitimate glosses over the pain of protesters like it is meaningless and it whitewashes protest, thus negating our own protest history.
The recent protests were originally sparked by the arrest of former president Jacob Zuma. His arrest might have started the protests, but the protests have arguably spiralled into something far greater. The riots mirrored the consequences of what happens when people live in extreme poverty, joblessness, and brazen inequality.
On Monday evening, 12 July, President Cyril Ramaphosa addressed the nation and condemned the actions of the protesters. Ramaphosa missed the opportunity to appeal to the protesters as people; to identify with their daily struggles and speak to them from the space of genuine concern and empathy. Instead, President Ramaphosa delegitimised the protests, claiming that the violence and dama
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