In July of 2021, South Africa saw a series of looting incidents and unrest that caused widespread destruction and loss of life. These events were triggered by the sentencing of former president Jacob Zuma, who had failed to appear in court for a corruption inquiry (Winnng A, 2021). People were outraged by his 18-month prison sentence, and this led to ongoing urban violence across the country (IFRC, 2021). The unrest began in KwaZulu-Natal on July 9th, 2021, when the supporters of the former president set up roadblocks and burned 20 trucks (Rédaction Africanews, 2021). It was then further fueled by the Covid-19 pandemic, poverty, and high unemployment rates, and spread to Gauteng on July 11th, 2021 (Harding, 2021).

The riots resulted in the closure of N2 and N4 highways, and large mobs started looting shopping malls, stealing food, clothing, electronics, liquor, and other items. However, the looters did not limit their targets to shopping centers but also attempted to attack major retailers, factories, and warehouses. Many buildings were also set on fire, and several of them burned down until their roofs collapsed (Rédaction Africanews, 2021).

The unrest primarily affected the Indian population in KwaZulu-Natal, where there were reports of conflict between them and other Black citizens in Durban's Phoenix community (N. Dludla, 2021). As a result of the weeks-long unrest and looting, more than 215 people lost their lives, and over 2500 were arrested. Additionally, over 200 shopping centers were looted, leading to an estimated property loss of up to 1 billion USD (Rédaction Africanews, 2021). According to the Economic Intelligence Unit, the total loss resulting from the looting and property damage was estimated to be around 10 billion rand (Rédaction Africanews, 2021).

The Routine Activities Approach:

The routine activities approach was introduced by Cohen and Felson in 1979. This theory posits that before victimization can occur, certain aspects must come together at the right time and place. This theory is based on the human ecology theory of Amos Hawley. Routine activities are an essential part of our everyday lives, and social activities create opportunities for crime to take place. Crime takes place when an opportunity is created, and individual activities can either increase or decrease the risk of becoming a victim of crime.

According to the routine activity theory, three factors must come together at the same time and place for a crime to occur: a likely offender, a suitable target, and the absence of a capable guardian. A likely offender is someone who wants to commit a crime; a suitable target is someone who is in the right place at the right time for a crime to take place, and the absence of a capable guardian could be the lack of security cameras or an alarm system, or even the absence of a person in charge.

Application of the Routine Activities Approach on the Looting of July 2021:

The looting in July 2021 was a clear illustration of the routine activities approach. The riots created a favorable environment by bringing together the three necessary factors for crime to occur. The absence of a capable guardian was evident in the lack of police presence to stop the looting, and the suitable targets were easily accessible in shopping malls, factories, and warehouses that were left unguarded. The offenders, in this case, were people who saw an opportunity to loot and took advantage of the situation, causing widespread chaos and damage.

Bibliography:

1. Winnng A. (2021), Explained: Why July 2021 will be remembered as one of the darkest periods in South African history [Online] Available at: https://www.cnn.com/2021/07/16/africa/south-africa-unrest-explainer-intl-hnk/index.html [Accessed 23 August 2021].

2. IFRC. (2021), South Africa: Unrest and Looting [Online] Available at: https://www.ifrc.org/en/news-and-media/press-releases/africa/south-africa-unrest-and-looting/ [Accessed 23 August 2021].

3. Rédaction Africanews. (2021), July 2021 in South Africa: a month of riots and looting [Online] Available at: https://www.africanews.com/2021/08/02/july-2021-in-south-africa-a-month-of-riots-and-looting/ [Accessed 23 August 2021].

4. Harding, A. (2021), South Africa riots: ‘Children looted my shop and set it on fire’ [Online] Available at: https://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-57969534 [Accessed 23 August 2021].

5. N. Dludla. (2021), South African townships become battlefields during looting, #UnrestSA [Online] Available at: https://www.reuters.com/world/africa/south-african-townships-become-battlefields-during-looting-unrestsa-2021-07-16/[Accessed 23 August 2021].

In considering the appropriate target factor, we examine the following sub-factors. First, we evaluate the value of the object. Is it a brand new, expensive cell phone, or an old flip phone with a cracked, black and white screen? Next, we look at the accessibility that a potential offender has to the object. If it's a break-in, is there an easy escape route available, or is there another way out if someone blocks the way? We also consider the level of inertia or ease with which a potential offender can overpower someone. Additionally, we assess the physical visibility of the object. Is the phone or TV being robbed easily visible to outsiders?

Another factor we evaluate is the absence of a capable guardian. This doesn't necessarily mean the lack of a physical person such as a security guard or police, but can refer to the deficit of security cameras or alarm systems. It's the lack of supervision of property or of a person that could have prevented crime from occurring.

Applying the routine activities approach to the looting and unrest that took place across South Africa in July 2021, we examine how each factor of the approach is applicable. In regards to the motivational offender, we can classify all those who took part in the unrest and looting as motivated offenders. Next, we can confirm that the motivated offenders had no internal or external controls, with no possible 'handlers' for them. This became clear in videos that circulated during the unrest and looting. Therefore, we classified these people as potential offenders.

Regarding suitable targets, the looters knew the value and location of products in shopping centers, shops, factories, and warehouses. They overpowered security guards as a group and found what they were looking for, even though some of the products were not easily visible from outside the locations.

Lastly, in regards to the absence of a capable guardian factor, we can see that even with the presence of capable guardians, the motivated offenders were not deterred, as demonstrated by the arrests of over 2500 of them (Africanews, 2021).