On 12 July 2021, President Cyril Ramaphosa deployed the South African National Defense Force to Gauteng and KwaZulu-Natal provinces to quell unrest following several days of protests and looting sparked by the sentencing of former President Jacob Zuma to 15 months in prison for refusing to testify for an anti-corruption tribunal. In the Soweto district of Johannesburg, police officers fired rubber bullets at several dozen looters fleeing a mall as rioters set fire to other shops. Elsewhere in Johannesburg, rioters blocked major roads with burning tires. Looting has also been reported in the Benmore, Jeppestown and Vosloorus areas of Johannesburg. Reports indicate that at least 10 people have been killed and police officials have detained at least 490 people since the protests commenced.