South Africa’s army has begun deploying 25,000 troops to assist police in quelling the weeklong riots and violence sparked by the imprisonment of former President Jacob Zuma.

       In the largest deployment of soldiers since the end of white minority rule in 1994, the South African National Defense Force has also called up all of its reserve force of 12,000 troops. Trucks, armored personnel carriers and helicopters are being used to transport soldiers to trouble spots in Gauteng and KwaZulu-Natal provinces, which have seen a week of violence in mainly poor areas. Dozens of people have been killed.

       The violence erupted last week after Zuma began serving a 15-month sentence for contempt of court for refusing to comply with a court order to testify at a state-backed inquiry investigating allegations of corruption during his 2009-2018 presidency.

       The protests in Gauteng and KwaZulu-Natal escalated into riots and looting in township areas, although that has not spread to South Africa’s seven other provinces, where police are on alert.

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       Former South African President Jacob Zuma ordered to jail for contempt of court

       Former South African President Jacob Zuma has been found guilty of contempt of court and sentenced to 15 months in prison.

       The armed patrols appear to be succeeding so far in bringing stability to Gauteng, South Africa’s most populous province, which includes Johannesburg, the country’s largest city. Army troops stood guard at the large Maponya mall in Soweto, which was closed.

       Volunteer groups cleaned up shattered glass and debris from shops that had been stormed and looted in Johannesburg’s Soweto and Alexandra townships.

       The unrest, however, continued in KwaZulu-Natal province where several factories and warehouses were smoldering Thursday after being targeted in arson attacks. There were renewed attacks Thursday on shopping centers in KwaZulu-Natal, which is Zuma’s home province.