Following a weekend of uninterrupted violence in Gauteng and KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) that has since morphed into a ‘SA shutdown’, President Cyril Ramaphosa will address the nation on Monday.
Ramaphosa to address the nation on SA shutdown
In a statement released by the Presidency, it’s noted that Ramaphosa will provide updates on “government’s response to persistent public violence in parts of the country.”
“The address will follow the announcement by the South African National Defence Force (SANDF) that it has commenced with pre-deployment processes and procedures in line with a request for assistance received from the National Joint Operational & Intelligence Structure (NATJOINTS),” the president’s office stated.
Already, the Defence Ministry confirmed the SANDF deployment in a statement where it made it categorically clear that the soldiers will provide auxiliary support to law enforcement agencies.
What that entails and for how long the army will be deployed to riot hotspots could be some of the updates Ramaphosa will provide.
“The President is on record as calling for calm and warning criminal elements that they will face the full might of law as lawlessness is brought to an end and economic activity is allowed to continue.
“The majority of South Africans do not and should not tolerate violence, the destruction of property and the endangering of livelihoods. People are urged to report criminals by sharing videos of criminal activity with the police,” the presidency added.
At the time this article was published, the Ramaphosa’s office had not confirmed the exact time the address is scheduled for.
Relevant updates and live feed of the president’s address will be included in this article when it becomes available.