Protests against the jailing of former South African president Jacob Zuma spread from his hometown to the country\u2019s main economic hub of Johannesburg Sunday.<\/P>
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Shops in Johannesburg were looted overnight and a section of the major M2 highway was closed as some protests turned violent.<\/P>
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Police say 62 people have been arrested in connection with riots since Zuma was imprisoned last Wednesday.<\/P>
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The body of a 40-year-old man has been recovered from one of the shops that was set on fire over the weekend, according to police.<\/P>
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President Cyril Ramaphosa called for calm Sunday, urging protesters to demonstrate peacefully.<\/P>
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“People have been intimidated and threatened, and some have even been hurt,” Ramaphosa said. <\/P>
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Zuma is serving a 15-month sentence for contempt of court after he failed to testify while being investigated for corruption during his term as president from 2009-2018. <\/P>
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Protests began immediately following his arrest last week in his home province of KwaZulu-Natal.<\/P>
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Shops in KwaZulu-Natal as well as the Gauteng region, where Johannesburg is, will remain closed Monday for security reasons, Agence France-Presse reported.<\/P>
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Zuma has denied allegations that widespread corruption took place under his leadership, and he refused to participate in an inquiry that began during his final weeks in office.<\/P>
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He has also challenged his current sentence, arguing in part that he will be at risk of catching COVID-19 while imprisoned. A court is expected to hear his challenge on Monday.<\/P>
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Zuma, a prominent anti-apartheid fighter, remains popular despite the allegations of corruption. <\/P>
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Source: Voice of America<\/P>
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