Bonginkosi Khanyile Denies Incitement Claims, Says July 2021 Unrest was Orchestrated
- Bonginkosi Khanyile claimed that the July 2021 unrest was orchestrated, distancing himself from the violence
- Khanyile faces charges for incitement and violating COVID-19 regulations during the unrest
- Prosecutors alleged that Khanyile encouraged the looting, a claim he strongly denies in court
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Justin Williams, a journalist at Briefly News since 2024, covers South Africa’s current affairs. Before joining Briefly News, he served as a writer and chief editor at Right for Education Africa’s South African chapter.
Source: Twitter
KWAZULU-NATAL, DURBAN - Former student activist Bonginkosi Khanyile has told the Durban High Court that the July 2021 unrest was carefully planned and that those responsible for orchestrating the violence should be held accountable.
Khanyile violated COVID-19 regulations
Khanyile returned to court on Monday, 26 July 2026, where he faces charges of incitement to commit public violence and contravening the Disaster Management Act in connection with the widespread looting and infrastructure damage that followed former president Jacob Zuma’s imprisonment. The State alleges that Khanyile violated COVID-19 regulations and addressed gatherings mobilising support for Zuma, who was serving a sentence for contempt of court at the time.
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During his testimony, Khanyile distanced himself from the violence, telling the court that the unrest did not occur spontaneously but was coordinated by unnamed individuals. He said those behind the events had yet to face consequences. Khanyile denied encouraging unlawful conduct, arguing that he would not have openly called for criminal acts if he intended to break the law. He maintained that he did not instruct members of the public to engage in violence or destruction.
Source: Twitter
Widespread looting during the unrest
Khanyile said that the July 2021 unrest was unrelated to his calls for the release of former President Jacob Zuma from prison. The State alleges that Khanyile was part of a group that encouraged widespread looting during the unrest. Prosecutors have presented video footage showing Khanyile mobilising support for Zuma’s release after the former president was jailed for contempt of court for defying the Zondo Commission of inquiry into state capture.
State prosecutor Advocate Yuri Gangai argued that Khanyile used his public influence to incite disorder. Khanyile denied this, telling the court that the scale of looting differed fundamentally from what he had advocated. He testified that no reasonable person could claim they looted malls, destroyed property or committed arson because of his public speeches. Khanyile said the violence came as a shock and was not something he had anticipated.
Other stories about the July unrest
Duduzile Zuma-Sambudla, the daughter of the president of the MK Party, Jacob Zuma, will appear in court on 30 January on charges relating to the July 2021 unrest. Zuma-Sambudla will appear before the Durban Magistrates Court on charges relating to her alleged involvement in the 2021 July unrest. A digital forensic expert, Jean Le Roux, testified during the South African Human Rights Commission's probe into the unrest that her tweets seemed celebratory. She was not part of the 20 instigators who were arrested after the unrest.
The Hawks have arrested a total of 46 alleged instigators of the unrest that rocked South Africa in July 2021. Hawks boss Lieutenant-General Godfrey Lebeya led a media briefing on Tuesday, 23 August, where he lauded the success of the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation (DPCI) in investigating the July unrest and the supposed instigators of the week-long looting spree that spread across parts of the country.
Walmart loaned Massmart R4 billion after lootings
In a related article, Briefly News reported that Walmart, Massmart's parent company, loaned Massmart R4 billion in the aftermath of the July 2021 unrest. Game and Makro were among the hardest-hit companies during the aftermath.
Makro suffered damages to the value of R2.5 billion when over 30 stores were looted and targeted.
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Source: Briefly News
