Sri Lanka's President Flees the Country for the Maldives, State of Emergency Implemented as Protests Escalate

• Sri Lankan President Gotabaya Rajapaksa has run away from his country following multiple protests over his leadership
• Residents are upset about the country's dire economic situation and even stormed Rajapaksa'ss residential home
• South Africans have shared their thoughts about the uprising in Sri Lanka and think our citizens should be taking notes

COLOMBO - Sri Lankan President Gotabaya Rajapaksa has fled his country for the Maldives following the uprising of citizens over his failure as a leader.

Over the weekend, thousands of outraged residents stormed the president's residential home, which forced Rajapaksa to flee to a military base.

According to SABC News, Sri Lankan Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe has now been appointed as the acting president and has declared a state of emergency in an attempt to restore order to the country.

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Sri Lankans have only gotten more upset over Rajapaksa's escape which has now prompted more protests. The anger has now been directed toward Wickermesignhe, with many people demonstrating outside his office.

The acting president has also implemented a curfew as part of the state of emergency, according to eNCA. The indefinite curfew will be implemented in the country's Western province, which includes the country's capital, Colombo.

Rajapaksa is expected to step down as the president of the country on Wednesday, 13 July, however, there is no telling if he will now that he has fled the country.

South Africans react to protests in Sri Lanka

Some South Africans believe that fellow citizens will not follow in the steps of Sri Lankans, while others hope that Mzansi citizens are taking notes.

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Here are some comments:

@listnihi1 said:

"I saw monks in robes joining the Sri Lanka protests. In South Africa men of the cloth hide behind churches & prayers."

@islolly said:

"The difference between South Africa & Sri Lanka was the Sri Lankans constantly protested & took to the streets which culminated in the overthrow, whilst in SA, our protest is limited to the keyboard!"

@SSSIBIYA said:

"In South Africa, we protest about other Africans whilst in Sri Lanka they protest against those who loot billions every day."

Duduzile Zuma and Carl Niehaus want South Africans to follow Sri Lanka’s lead and storm Ramaphosa’s home

Briefly News previously reported that former president Jacob Zuma's daughter Duduzile Zuma and former spokesperson of the MK Veterans, Carl Niehaus, have suggested that South Africans follow the lead of Sri Lankan protestors.

Niehaus took to Twitter, where he said that Sri Lanka faces a similar economic meltdown to what is being experienced in South Africa. Other social media users echoed Niehaus' sentiments and said that the same conditions in Sri Lanka are present in South Africa and a similar protest could take place.

Source: Briefly News