IRR asks Cele for clarity on preparations ahead of EFF’s planned Monday “shutdown”
The IRR has noted statements reportedly made by the EFF warning that the planned action on Monday 20 March will be attended by looting.
News reports have referred to a video circulating online in which EFF members can be heard announcing the shutdown over a loudspeaker, using the words: “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. 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.”
Subsequent statements of concern about the threat of violence have emanated from a wide range of bodies, including the African National Congress, the Democratic Alliance, the Durban Chamber of Commerce and Industry, and the Premier of KwaZulu-Natal.
Therefore, the IRR has sent a letter to the Minister of Police, Bheki Cele, requesting clarity on preparations being made to manage the risk of violence, including clear public communication beforehand.
We have asked for clarity on the following:
The risk assessment, based on tracking decades of data on the political economy and the patterns of violence, is that the autumn and winter of 2023 loom as a high-risk period for public violence in South Africa. That means resources need to be carefully husbanded, and threats must be credibly assessed and not exaggerated in a knee-jerk fashion. Likewise, complacency is unaffordable. In finding the balance between complacency and hypersensitivity it is imperative to engage with the public transparently.
Said Gabriel Crouse, IRR Head of Campaigns: “The so-called shut down is best interpreted as the opening probe into what might become South Africa’s 2023 winter of discontent. Proponents of the National Democratic Revolution (NDR) seek points of least resistance through which to propel their well-articulated agenda. However, where risk management is well prepared and transparently engaged to protect the interests of the law-abiding, violent proponents of the NDR are containable.”
Media contacts: Mlondi Mdluli, IRR Campaign Manager- 071 148 2971; mlondi@irr.org.za
Gabriel Crouse, IRR Head of Campaigns – 082 510 0360; gabriel@irr.org.za
Media enquiries: Michael Morris, 066 302 1968 Email: michael@irr.org.za
Sinalo Thuku, 073 932 8506 Email: sinalo@irr.org.za