Durban - President Cyril Ramaphosa has instructed law-enforcement agencies to be on high alert to ensure that the country does not see a repeat of the scenes experienced during the July 2021 unrest at today’s EFF’s planned national shutdown.
The EFF’s planned protest comes after calls from the party for Ramaphosa to step down, an end to load shedding and high unemployment rates to be addressed.
National Joint Operational and Intelligence Structure (Natjoints), which consists of various ministers, including the SANDF and SAPS assured members of the public that they would be in full force during the protest.
Presidential spokesperson Vincent Magwenya, speaking on behalf of Ramaphosa yesterday, said the state had an obligation to protect citizens of South Africa, national key points and infrastructure.
“We have a duty to protect citizens and ensure that those who want to carry on with their normal business and work can do so without any fear or intimidation. We will also ensure that national key points and infrastructure are protected.”
Magwenya said members of the public would have seen an increase in the visibility of law-enforcement.
“We want to make it clear that although those that want to protest have a right to protest, this right is not absolute.
“If those that are protesting cause anarchy, violence or intimidate those that are going to work, we have instructed law-enforcement to deal with them accordingly.
“Tomorrow is a normal business day, only schools are closed tomorrow due to Tuesday being a public holiday.”
In a statement at the weekend, Natjoints said it had activated maximum resources to ensure that there was no ill-intended disruption of the plans of those who have to work, travel, or study, or perform any other business during the semi-long weekend.
“The measures that have been put in place by the Security Cluster will enable businesses and services to operate, while government and all modes of transport services will be accessible to members of the public.”
Natjoints added that while every citizen had a right to protest, it wanted to reiterate that this right must be exercised in a manner that does not infringe on the rights of non-protesters.
“Prohibiting people’s freedom of movement is a criminal offence. We will therefore enforce the law decisively in this regard.”
Natjoints said the notion that there would be a national shutdown was misleading.
“Everything from business to services will be fully functional and operational and accessible. We are not going to allow lawlessness and acts of criminality – those who are found to be on the wrong side of the law, will be dealt with accordingly.”
The SA Human Rights Commission said it was concerned by the level of threat and intimidation being communicated in the media and other platforms before the EFF planned shutdown.
“The commission calls on the government and the relevant ministries to ensure that persons who wish to exercise their rights, and who are not supportive of the protest actions of the EFF, are not intimidated or harmed as they go about their lives and livelihoods on March 20, and to ensure all who have rights and freedoms should be able to exercise these equally.”
The SACP said it strongly condemned the reported intentions by a certain sect that propagates an illegal shutdown of others’ workplaces, business operations and logistics infrastructure.
“SACP urges every person who needs to go to the workplace to work or to run their business operations, to a surgery, a clinic, or a hospital to receive healthcare, or to any other place or institution anywhere in South Africa on Monday, March 20, to feel free to do so, to exercise their human rights without fear.”
The DA approached the Gauteng High Court on Friday to interdict the EFF’s national shutdown protest action. The application was unsuccessful, but the court imposed restrictions on the protest which was welcomed by DA leader John Steenhuisen.
Steenhuisen said the interdict would strengthen the arm of South Africa’s law-enforcement bodies and security services to uphold the law.
“We welcome the judgment, which states that EFF members, employees and officials are interdicted and prohibited from shutting down schools, retail stores, businesses, trade and public roads; calling for, promoting instigating or organising the blocking of roads or railway lines, or the shutting down of schools, retail stores, businesses and trades; organising or participating in, or inciting others to organise or participate in, any unlawful conduct or unlawful protection action and inciting violence.”