The metro’s mayor said that this was to ensure participants in the shutdown on 20 March stayed within the confines of the law.
FILE: City of Cape Town said it wanted to prevent any attempts to incite or participate in looting, vandalism, and disruption as part of the EFF’s planned protests. Picture: andreyuu/123rf.com
CAPE TOWN – Mayor of Cape Town Geordin Hill-Lewis said that the city’s heading to court on Tuesday morning for a precautionary interdict, following the call by the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) for a national shutdown.
The metro said it wanted to prevent any attempts to incite or participate in looting, vandalism, and disruption as part of the EFF’s protests planned for Monday.
The mayor felt that the interdict was a precautionary measure to ensure the participants stayed within the confines of the law and permit to march to Parliament and hand over a memorandum.
READ: WC’s Winde concerned about EFF’s call for national shutdown
The EFF was demanding that government resolve the energy crisis and that President Cyril Ramaphosa stepped down.
Western Cape Premier Alan Winde said violence would not be tolerated.
“I’m deeply concerned by the call by the EFF for a national and, in this case, for a provincial-wide shut down. The theme that’s following that shutdown is one of violence and looting and that’s absolutely unacceptable.”
He said that the economy needed to remain open.
“We can’t allow businesses not to open. We have got to make sure that we have Saps, and [public order police], and our law enforcement officers on site to protect others’ rights on the 20th, and we will do so.”
