South African Government Sends Thousands of Soldiers Into Areas of Unrest

The South African government is sending 25,000 soldiers to areas it calls “flashpoints” as it tries to stop violence from spreading across the country.

Protests against the jailing of former President Jacob Zuma for contempt of court grew into civil unrest late last week. Mobs have looted and destroyed parts of cities, burning and destroying factories and warehouses. Scores of people have been killed and hundreds injured. As soldiers stream into areas threatened by mobs, so, too, are vigilantes.