Urban riots security nexus: an analysis of the drivers and impacts of the July 2021 riots in South Africa

South Africa is plagued by a culture of protest action and urban riots which has become manifest in the post-1994 era. Of grave concern is that violence has become a common feature in these protests and urban riots, both of which pose a threat to human security. In this light, the paper is aimed at addressing two related Objectives, which are: (a) to analyse the drivers of the July 2021 riots in the KwaZulu-Natal and Gauteng provinces; (b) to analyses the impact of the July 2021 riots on human security in the Kwa-Zulu Natal and Gauteng provinces. The study in its findings presents that, presents that, although the July 2021 riots were executed under the pretext of the release of Zuma, the reality is that there are multiple drivers of the July 2021 riots which are identified as intra-party tensions (ANC-Factionalism), poverty, unemployment, and inequality. Consequently, the July 2021 riots posed a threat on human security in both the Kwa-Zulu Natal and Gauteng provinces. This was evident on the increase in poverty levels, shortages of food and fuel supply, exacerbation of unemployment, impacts on the health sector (amidst the Coronavirus-2019 crisis), distraction of infrastructure, malicious body injuries and deaths. The study employs a qualitative literature assessment and used secondary data analysis. The paper recommends a human-development approach and good governance as catalysts to mitigate the causes of urban riots. In its contribution, the study remains important in the areas of governance, conflict and peace studies.