Rioting sparked by the arrest of former South African President Jacob Zuma erupted today in Johannesburg, with shopping malls looted, key roads blocked by burning tires, and police and military battling to keep the mayhem at bay.

In a solemn message aired to the nation on Monday night (local time), President Cyril Ramaphosa promised that the police and army will restore order, and he urged all South Africans to work together for peace.

After Mr. Zuma was imprisoned for contempt of court last week, rioting erupted in the KwaZulu-Natal region.

What began as a small-scale roadblock in Mr. Zuma's hometown grew in intensity and expanded to Gauteng, South Africa's most populous province, which includes Johannesburg, the country's largest city.

To assist the police, the South African National Defence Force has been sent.

At least ten people have been killed, and more than 490 have been arrested, Mr. Ramaphosa said, in "in acts of public violence rarely seen in the history of our democracy,"

The primary cause of poverty and unemployment is

"Violence may indeed have its roots in the pronouncements and activities of individuals with a political purpose, as well as expressions of frustration and anger," Mr. Ramaphosa said, without mentioning Mr. Zuma. "However, what we are witnessing now are opportunistic acts of criminality, with groups of people instigating chaos merely as a cover for looting and theft."

The high proportion of poverty and unemployment in South Africa, he claimed, is the core cause of the unrest.

"This moment has thrown into stark relief what we already knew: that the level of unemployment, poverty, and inequality in our society is unsustainable," Mr. Ramaphosa said.

"We cannot expect a lasting and durable peace if we do not create jobs and build a more just and equitable society in which all South Africans can participate freely and equally."

He called on all South Africans to avoid violence.

"Together, we will defeat those who seek to destabilize our country," he declared.

"We will stand as one people, united against violence, unanimous in our commitment to peace and to the rule of law."

Riots erupted, and journalists were robbed.

Earlier, shoplifting occurred in numerous of Johannesburg's poorest neighborhoods, including Benmore, Jeppestown, Vosloorus, and Soweto, where the Jabulani and Dobsonville malls were targeted.

Journalists reporting the riots for the public South African Broadcasting Corporation and news station Newzroom Afrika had their equipment stolen from retail outlets in Alexandra, east of Johannesburg.

Even though they were not immediately endangered, several malls, car dealerships, and retail centers in more affluent sections of Johannesburg, notably Rosebank and Kempton Park in eastern Johannesburg, closed early.

People in the Mariannhill and Umlazi regions of KwaZulu-Natal stole items such as microwave ovens, television sets, and apparel from retailers.

Zuma's detention has sparked a riot.

Mr. Zuma began serving a 15-month term for contempt of court this week, which sparked the violence.

He refused to testify before a state-backed investigation into claims of corruption during his presidency, which lasted from 2009 to 2018.

Mr. Zuma's appeal was heard by the Constitutional Court, the country's highest court, yesterday.

Four deaths were reported in Gauteng and two in KwaZulu-Natal, according to police Colonel Brenda Muridili.

According to authorities, police and national security personnel have increased their presence in both provinces to assist stop the violence.

Anyone who uses social media to incite unrest might be arrested and prosecuted, according to police.

According to commentators, the manner the political protest against Mr. Zuma's detention devolved into rioting and looting exposes South Africa's vast poverty, unemployment, and economic inequity.

According to Susan Booysen, head of research at the Mapungubwe Institute for Strategic Reflection, many of the rioters were just poor.

"It's such a mixed bag," Ms. Booysen said, "because some other people are just taking advantage so they can get things they couldn't get before."

"Poverty and inequality exist. We also know that some of the people involved are crooks searching for a way to profit.

"Often legitimate protests are exploited for that purpose."

Criminal opportunists are involved in this case.

The political demonstration had been overtaken, according to Ralph Mathekga, a researcher at the University of the Western Cape.

"South Africa is a very complex nation, and (when) there is protest action, there is no doubt that those will be used opportunistically by criminal elements," Mr. Mathekga told News24.

"We must acknowledge the country's socio-economic predicament. Almost everyone in the country is out of work.

"Protest action in South Africa, without some form of criminality, is very rare."