SOUTH AFRICAN security forces have been placed on high alert in the run up to former president Jacob Zuma’s court appearance later this week.

Zuma was taken to hospital under “medical observation” earlier this week after being jailed for contempt of court while serving as president.

Officials now fear that similar riots will erupt following days of violent protests from Zuma loyalists in July.

The City Press reports that law enforcement will be deployed throughout hotspot areas which have been extended beyond the July 13 to 31 ensure safety to property and people.

The Pietermaritzburg High Court, in particular, where Zuma will make his appearance on Tuesday 10 August is also under heightened attention as Zuma’s supporters are expected to be out in high numbers.

The week-long surge of violence in the country was the worse it has seen since the Apartheid regime over 20 years ago.

Small businesses face the brunt of the unrest with damage up to R50 billion is understood to have been caused.

The violence reflects an economy that has been “stagnant for more than a decade,” said Gerbrandt van Heerden, an analyst at the Johannesburg-based think tank.

He added: “A lot of the unrest that South Africa has experienced this year and before are connected to a failing state.”