AUTHORITIES in South Africa deployed the army in four of its provinces today after at least 21 vans carrying goods were set on fire in various parts of the country in the span of five days. 

The move came amid concerns of more violent unrest over a court decision that could send former president Jacob Zuma back to jail.

The deployment of soldiers to support police in some parts of the country came a day after South Africa’s apex Constitutional Court ruled that Mr Zuma’s early release from prison on medical parole in 2021 was invalid.

The Department of Corrections has not said if it will order Mr Zuma back to jail to serve the remainder of a 15-month prison sentence for contempt of court.

His initial jailing two years ago sparked a week of violent protests that left more than 350 people dead.

Mr Zuma’s spokesman Mzwanele Manyi said that the ex-president had served his time “inside and outside prison” and the court ruling was “just to anger people for no reason.”

Police said they had no evidence that the torching of vans was connected to the 2021 unrest or to Mr Zuma.

The truck burnings appear to have started on Sunday, the second anniversary of the start of the 2021 protests.