Tensions continue to rise ahead of Monday’s national stayaway, with President Cyril Ramaphosa yesterday warning that law enforcement officials have been briefed to ensure no anarchy and disorder are permitted.

There are growing concerns that the national protests could lead to violence, destruction of property and loss of life, similar to the 2021 July unrest sparked by the arrest of firmer President Jacob Zuma.

Ramaphosa warned the red berets that ‘regime change can only come about through a vote’ and not through ‘anarchy or disorder’. He added while the right to protest was enshrined in the Constitution, it did not give the EFF the right to infringe on the rights of the rest of the citizenry.

‘The right to protest is deeply embedded in our Constitution and is a right that we as South Africans fought for and won so that South Africans can protest against what may be concerning issues, but that right is not absolute. It is a limited right not underpinned by violence,’ he said.

The EFF’s shutdown call has been joined by several organisations including the South African Federation of Trade Unions (Saftu).

Ministers in the security cluster reassured the public of protection in the event that the shutdown got violent. The SANDF will be on standby to assist the police to deal with any violence that may arise, they said, according to a News24 report.

Defence Minister Thandi Modise said: ‘We are on standby. There is capacity, and South Africans, they will be protected and not be violated.’ 

News24 reports that 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.

Police Minister Bheki Cele 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.’ He said 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.'

Full News24 report