The EFF is a few days away from its national shutdown and while it’s touted as a peaceful demonstration, video footage showing the party’s ground forces warning businesses to stay closed or get looted suggests otherwise.
EFF threatens ‘looting’ if business stay open during national shutdown
On Monday, 20 March 2023, the Red Berets will mobilise a nationwide strike to sound a raucous call for the resignation of President Cyril Ramaphosa and an immediate solution to South Africa’s energy crisis.
Despite the acting Public Protector clearing Ramaphosa from wrongdoing in the ‘Phala Phala’ scandal, or recent comments from Eskom’s board about no clear shortcuts to solving the loadshedding issue, the opposition party is forging ahead with its strike action, which coincidentally takes place a day on the eve of the 63rd anniversary of the Sharpeville massacre.
While it’s not explicitly stated, the symbolism of the latter, which, ironically, took place on Monday, 21 March 1960 and claimed 69 lives, and left at least 180 anti-apartheid protesters injured, cannot be understated.
The EFF has every intention of rendering a standstill on the business day on Monday, 20 March 2023, and any resistance from non-participators, be it law enforcement or the Democratic Alliance (DA) will likely be met with violence.
This is further supported by a video circulating on social media, where EFF ground forces can be heard warning businesses to remain closed on Monday, 20 March 2023, “to avoid the looting.”
“We are saying to you close down all your businesses to avoid the looting. Close down all your shops to avoid the looting. Close down all your factories to avoid the looting,” the speaker is heard saying.
“Close down everything. Nothing will be operating on that day. We are avoiding the looting. We are saying to you come and join the march, my brother. Come and join the march, my sister.”
What plans are in place to prevent violence on the day?
Despite the EFF’s attempts at watering down the impact of the national shutdown, referring to it as a ‘peaceful’ display of frustration toward the status quo in South Africa, and using divisive speech to trigger aggressive emotions from the public, enough evidence exists to suggest that more than likely, public order police may have their hands full next week Monday.
In fact, EFF leader Julius Malema made it abundantly clear that his national shutdown will dwarf the scale of violence we witnessed in the ‘Free Jacob Zuma‘ riots.
“Like Sharpeville, we are not scared of the state power. Let the state come with its power, we’ll come with the mass power. We don’t want to see a single truck moving. We don’t want to see a single train moving. We don’t want to see a single bus moving, unless it’s taking people to the picket lines,” Malema warned back in January 2023.
As reported by Business Tech, SAPS’ intelligence division, NATJOINTS, has already prepared a coordinated strategy to handle the EFF national shutdown.
“While plans will be in place to ensure law and order, we are urging all people in this country to heed the country’s laws and not engage in acts that will result in them having criminal records.” police spokesperson Brigadier Athlenda Mathe said in a statement.
The DA is also using legal channels to limit the potential damage of the EFF national shutdown in the Western Cape, and despite repeated warnings of looting, the City of Cape Town will remain open for business, Mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis, who’s leading an interdict application against the Red Berets, confirmed.
“Cape Town will be open for business as usual, and authorities are well prepared and equipped to deal with what is likely to be only limited, isolated attempts at disruption by the EFF. Would-be disruptors will be arrested, and we are also seeking a precautionary interdict against looting, vandalism or disruptions,” he said.