Johannesburg, Jul 31 (IANS): The South African Parliament said that a joint meeting by its committees has resolved to refer a request to establish an inquiry into the recent unrest which was triggered earlier this month in the wake of former President Jacob Zuma's imprisonment.

The request will be sent to Parliament's Presiding Officers for further consideration and decision, Xinhua news agency quoted an official statement issued on Friday as saying.

The statement added that the meeting was of the view that the establishment of this inquiry is important in light of the violence, impact of the looting on the economy and loss of life caused by the unrest.

Parliamentary committees had visited KwaZulu-Natal and Gauteng provinces, the hotspots of the unrest, which claimed the lives of 337 people, while roads were also blocked, properties and vehicles damaged and burned.

Speaker of National Assembly (NA), the lower house, Thandi Modise has proposed an extraordinary extended debate on the unrest to political parties represented as soon as possible when it reconvenes in August.

Zuma, once known for his fight against apartheid, has been imprisoned in the Estcourt Correctional Centre for 15 months for disobeying court orders.

He did not testify before the judicial commission that was investigating accusations of corruption against him between 2009-2018.

Meanwhile, more than 2,500 people have been arrested in connection with the violent protests.