This is popular front a podcast focused on the niche details of modern warfare and

underreported conflict with me Jake Hanrahan. Today we're speaking to journalist James

Pogue. He's going to be speaking to us about the deadly situation in South

Africa. There have been open battles in the streets due to the former President

Jacob Zuma being sent the prison on corruption charges. Over 300 people have been killed.

We're going to speak to James who has done extensive

reporting in South Africa specifically around groups with armed militias and

the like. If you like what we're doing here at Popular Front

please consider supporting us keep us going at Patreon.com slash Popular Front. popular front. Let's start with what is actually happening right now in South Africa.

Last I read I think start with what is actually happening right now in South Africa.

Last I read I think there's over 100 people who have been killed in, you know,

open street clashes. It's like urban warfare from some of the videos. I've seen it looks like that

What the hell is going on? I understand it's something to do with Zuma like something to do with this one that one like all sorts is going on maybe just give us you know an idea of why this is

happening right now there's an official version of what's going on which keeps

changing that the government has been I mean to put it kindly it seems like they're trying on explanations for size and nothing seems to be sticking.

So just to sort of to give people a picture if they haven't been following the actual

measurable events. There's a grab bag of chaos that I can describe. Things kicked off

when Jacob Zuma, the former president, was sentenced to 15 months in prison for defying

an order by the South African Constitutional Court to appear before this commission that was investigating and This created a showdown in South Africa and different people describe the showdown as between different groups

but the easiest way to look at it is actually is a showdown within the governing ANC party

which is governed South Africa since the beginning of democracy.

And so roughly speaking, there was a Zuma wing and a sort of more proper-minded and supposedly reformist wing headed by the president, Zero Ramaposa.

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