Security measures in place to ensure safety of open businesses ahead of EFF’s planned shutdown
With Uncedo Taxi Association confirming today that taxis will be operating on Monday, indications are that it will be business as usual in Port Alfred on Monday March 20, the day of the Economic Freedom Fighter’s (EFF) planned national shutdown. Local security company Multi Security says it has boosted its manpower for Monday and will be conducting patrols in the CBD, to ensure businesses can continue to operate safely. Meanwhile, the EFF says it will not be on them if they open and people come in their establishments and businesses to vandalise.
Port Alfred Business Forum chairperson, Clinton Millard says businesses will remain open to protect the livelihood of the town. “Businesses will not be closed on that specific day,” Millard told Talk of the Town. “Trading will resume as normal because it is key revenue income for Port Alfred,” he said.
The Eastern Cape’s Uncedo taxi association chairperson, Monde Fandi, meanwhile, has also confirmed with Talk of The Town that public transport will be operating as normal. “Taxis will be loading passengers as normal on Monday,” he told TOTT on Friday.
The EFF have urged a national shutdown on Monday, March 20. Last weekend, the party’s local branch distributed notices informing businesses in Port Alfred of their intention to shut down all schools, retail stores, businesses and public roads in the area.
“The National Shutdown is a cry to rescue the future of this country and all its citizens, and we demand a steady supply of electricity and call for the resignation of Cyril Ramaphosa,” reads the EFF Sarah Baartman region’s notice.
The EFF’s Media Officer in the Sarah Baartman region, Mzwandile Mgweba said, “This march is not about the EFF. It’s the EFF who is saying; nation there’s a problem – we must act before it’s too late because our sovereignty is at stake here,” he said. “South Africa should be a developmental country but it’s not developing …” Mgweba said.
Talk Of The Town asked the member of the EFF’s regional command team (RCT) why they are calling for the resignation of the president. “In essence, ever since Ramaphosa took over as the president of the country, nothing has happened in this country. We have seen the destruction of our SOEs, we’ve seen violent crime rising exponentially, we’ve seen unemployment rising and we’ve also seen corruption within the state that he purported as if he’s fighting for,” he said.
“South Africa is moving backwards instead of achieving goals that we set out for the whole country to be a developmental country, to be a country for all where citizens stay under protection of the police and the law. The other thing is we have seen him evading the law with the Phala Phala issue. As the first citizen who uploads the constitution and the laws and who has the highest integrity in terms of upholding the law and being an example, he should have stepped aside a very long time ago but he’s there delaying the law,” said Mgweba.
TOTT asked why the party has chosen to go the route of planning a national shutdown rather than using their voice in parliament and voting power to impeach the president. “The ANC is the majority party in parliament and … the other progressive movements like EFF, UDM and the smaller parties like ATM are outnumbered in terms of votes so that route is closed for us because the ANC and its ally, the DA, will outvote us,” the RCT member said.
In Ndlambe, the EFF have put up posters notifying residents of the planned shutdown and they have served letters to businesses in town. “We want to warn them that it will not be on us if they open and people come in their establishments and businesses to vandalise because anything can happen in a shutdown,” Mgweba said.
“We are not going to police each and everybody joining the picket so it’s up to the business people to close their doors to protect their properties and goods.”
Asked if this was a threat, Mgweba said it wasn’t.
“It’s cordial advice. Whenever there’s a march, there’s always an element of violence, we cannot run away from that. But what promotes violence is people being victimised and provoked by police and businesses staying open for anyone to come in. That’s why we are issuing out these letters because as EFF, we cannot be held responsible for each and everyone. We don’t know how angry people are and we know that in South Africa people have turned to violence to solve their differences and now we cannot say this march is different from others,” he said.
On Friday aftenoon, March 17, there were two EFF members on loudhailers at Rosehill Mall, warning people not to come to work on Monday. They trudged from Spar right down to Woolworths and it was over in about 20 minutes. The pair were told to leave by some pent up business owners and they complied.
As a representative of the security industry, Millard has assured the public that security measures will be in place to ensure the safety of businesses, retail stores and schools that remain open on the day. “There will always be security measures put in place and preparing for instances like the above. But there should not necessarily be anything because it’s a controlled strike and the people who are taking part should not do any malicious damage to any property because there’s no need to do that. If there are damages then police and security will need to intervene,” said Millard, who is the owner of Multi Security.
Mgweba said the United Democratic Movement (UDM) and the South African Federation of Trade Unions (SAFTU) have indicated that they will join the shutdown.
The community policing forum in Makhanda has addressed a response to the EFF’s letter to businesses to Sarah Baartman Provincial Secretary Nokuthula Memani.
CPF chairperson of the Makhanda Precinct, Andrew Kirk, says, “We acknowledge your right to protest, however we also take cognisance of the rights of citizens to exercise free will and not to take part in your protest should they so choose. The Community Police Forum will not tolerate any acts of intimidation or threats to members of our community who do not join your protest and respectfully request that your members act in accordance with the laws of South Africa, and do not resort to thuggish and unlawful behaviour.”
The letter is copied to the Grahamstown Station Commander Colonel Pika and urges the South African Police, Private Security, and members of the CPF “to protect the rights and livelihoods of businesses and citizens of Makhanda and immediately report any deviation from the above on the relevant security WhatsApp and Radio groups.”
Meanwhile, the Transvaal Agricultural Union of South Africa (TLU SA) filed criminal charges against the EFF’s Commander In Chief, Julius Malema last week Friday, March 10.
“The EFF’s threats to sabotage the economy on 20 March are nothing but an act of terror and thus high treason,” said Bennie van Zyl, general manager of TLU SA. “And should the government fail to take sufficient action to protect the safety of people, property and the economy during this action, it is simply a constitutional neglect of duty.”
TLU SA said they filed the criminal charge against the party’s leader in terms of the Protection of Constitutional Democracy against Terrorist and Related Activities Act (Act 33 of 2004). The organisation said they have also sent a letter to the government to request an indication of how the state intends to stabilise the situation and protect the lives and possessions of those who do not participate in the EFF’s protest action.
“In our opinion, the government should have already intervened and called the EFF and Malema to order,” he said.
“It is the EFF’s constitutional right to protest, provided that such action does not threaten any other person, assets or the economic process in any way. But in this case, there are blatant threats against those willing to act responsibly and go to work on the day,” Van Zyl said.
