The national shutdown by the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) on Monday was marked by heavy police presence across the country’s hotspots.
Enforcement agencies were deployed to monitor the party’s nationwide shutdown.
The party is demonstrating against the country’s energy crisis and calling for President Cyril Ramaphosa to step down.
TEMBISA
Police were struggling to contain protestors at the Winnie Mandela informal settlement in Tembisa.
About 10 police vans and an armoured vehicle were at the scene.
The streets were lined with burning tyres, cow skulls, stones, and other items.
Police fired rubber bullets and stun grenades to disperse the crowd of about 100 people.
However, Lieutenant-Colonel Kelebogile Thepa, Ekurhuleni’s metro police spokesperson, said that the crowds regrouped as soon they pulled back.
“This has, of course, started in the early hours of the morning, we are talking midnight, where they started blockading roads with burning tyres and rocks, but then we were on the ground, ensuring that we clear as we go.”
Meanwhile, national police commissioner Fannie Maselmola said that the country was relatively quiet.
He said the police were out in full force.
“[There are] protests in the Pretoria CBD and Alexandra, but, otherwise, the situation is relatively calm across the country.”
But he said there were a few incidents in the morning, but they might not be connected to the shutdown.
“There’s a butchery that was damaged early this morning and put on fire, and a warehouse, not far from there, was attempted to break into it, but police responded and there was nothing taken there.”
Eighty-seven arrests were made countrywide, so far, with a huge security presence at major centres.
PRETORIA
But in Pretoria, EFF supporters were gathering at Church Square.
EFF national spokesperson Sinawo Thambo, who was there, said that the amount of police visibility in Tshwane on Monday was proof that the government did have capacity to combat crime.
Supporters gathered at Church Square were expected to march to the Union Buildings.
It was a slow start in the capital city, with a small group of EFF members gathering at Church Square to join their demonstrations.
The party showed no signs of intensifying the protest, but they remained under the watchful eye police officers.
EFF national spokesperson Sinawo Thambo said Monday’s protest proved that the country had more than enough resources to tackle crime and all its issues.
“South Africans must take note that this is the most massive law enforcement deployment since the state of emergency in the 1980s. We have never seen this much police presence in South Africa, which shows that this state is capable of protecting our people, but they just choose not to.”
Despite the security presence, he said the party remained committed to ensuring their calls were heard.
JOHANNESBURG
The home of Soweto Parliament leader Nhlanhla Lux was bombed earlier in the morning, but no one was hurt.
Apart from the blast, the Soweto area was relatively calm, with a few fires on the roads that were extinguished earlier.
However, some Gauteng residents were left without transport.
The Public Utility Transport Corporation Bus (Putco) temporarily suspended their transport services in five major districts in the province, after their buses were stoned, and drivers intimidated earlier in morning.
“In Soweto, busses were stoned and passengers, as well as drivers, had to flee. Police assisted in recovering one of the damaged busses. In Eldorado Park, services could not operate as roads for our staff busses to pick up drivers were blocked. A bus was hijacked at the Soshanguve depot operations where a female driver was force out of the bus, which was used to block the road,” said Putco’s Lindokuhle Xulu.
Johannesburg City Power also said that if any of their technicians were compromised on site, they would withdraw their operations on Monday.
“The safety of our technicians and equipment is very important to us and we will not hesitate to pull out our teams if they are under any threat,” said City Power’s Isaac Mangena.
“Our teams in all the delivery centres have been warned to remain vigilant and to do all necessary assessments before responding to any outage calls.”
CAPE TOWN
Parliament’s Joint Standing Committee on Defence welcomed the deployment of the defence force to maintain law and order during the national shutdown.
Over 3,000 soldiers were deployed until 17 April at a cost of R166 million.
Their main responsibility was to protect national key points and to support police in their operations.
An eleventh-hour attempt by the civil society group Lawyers for Black People to have the deployment of the defence force declared unlawful failed in the High Court early in the morning.
The High Court ruled that attempts to overturn the deployment of the SANDF was far-reaching, involving complex Constitutional issues that could not be dealt with in an urgent court application.
Parliament’s Joint Standing Committee on Defence said that it noted a letter from Ramaphosa over the weekend, informing the Legislature of the deployment of the South African National Defence Force (SANDF).
They were being deployed under Operation Prosper to prevent and combat crime.
Co-chairperson of the committee Cyril Xaba said in the recent past, the SANDF proved essential in assisting various government departments during a time of need.
“This operation is also critical to ensure the prevention of acts of violence, protection of property and limb, as well as ensuring the rule of law is respected and promoted.”
The defence force would be assisting the police in search operations, if needed.
“This must be the last time that threats of violence and intimidation are unleashed to the people. The presence of the security forces will ensure people go about their daily lives free of fear and unhindered.”
-EWN
In other news – Popular singer Bucie in trouble for failing to pay R320 000 for her car
NEDBANK Limited repossessed Bucie Nqwiliso’s car for failing to meet the installments agreement, but she is still left with a huge debt. The bank is not giving the Easy to Love hitmaker any love as it is demanding that she pays R322 203,72.
The publication has seen papers filed by the bank in the high court, Gauteng Local Division in Joburg. The bank said in 2016, the house music singer bought a 2016 Volkswagen Amarok 2.0 BiTDi under an instalment sale agreement. Learn More