The South African National Defence Force (SANDF) will be on standby to assist the police to deal with any violence that may arise from the EFF’s planned countrywide shutdown on Monday.
On Thursday, ministers in the government’s security cluster briefed journalists at a media conference on the Cabinet meeting that was held on Wednesday.
Asked if the SANDF would be deployed in affected areas, Defence Minister Thandi Modise said: “We are on standby. There is capacity, and South Africans, they will be protected and not be violated.”
She also said one weakness for the security cluster was that people were allowed to use social media to plan riots and intimidate others.
“This time we will not let it go. That is a weakness that we will accept,” she said.
The EFF is organising nationwide marches to protest against load shedding on Monday and will call on President Cyril Ramaphosa to resign.
The party has vowed to shut down the entire country.
Police Minister Bheki Cele said government lauded residents and businesses who refused to be intimidated or bullied. He gave the assurance that all citizens and their property would be protected.
“We also want to caution against the spreading of messages of fear, intimidation or inflammatory statements that could incite violence. This is a criminal offence. We are aware of many social media accounts claiming that hundreds and thousands of followers are being mobilised to support the protest.”
Defence and Military Veterans Minister Thandi Modise.
City Press Deon Raath
“The majority of communities and various sectors of society, including Santaco, National Taxi Association, the Road Freight Association and organised structures within communities, have rejected this call,” Cele said.
According to Cele, the situation will be closely monitored throughout the country, and officers will act swiftly against any threats or disruptions.
“There will be high police visibility. Our law enforcement agencies through the NatJoints (National Joint Operational and Intelligence Structure) will ensure multidisciplinary deployments, and the necessary contingency plans are already in place. The NatJoints will be briefing the nation on its plans for the planned protest,” he said.
