Many of South Africa’s political parties have rejected the planned 30 June Shutdown by anti-illegal immigrant groups. Amongst the reasons for their opposition is the need for the rule of law to be observed and possible violence to be avoided.
The country is on high alert ahead of Tuesday, which has been declared by groups such as March and March and Operation Dudula as the cut-off date for undocumented immigrants to be in the country. The groups have held several marches across the country in recent weeks, with some descending into mayhem.
The African National Congress (ANC) has urged South Africans to use democratic processes and observe the rule of law in resolving the challenges they face. ANC NEC member, Supra Mahumapelo, said this on behalf of Nomvula Mokonyane, the First Deputy Secretary of the party, at an online platform this weekend, where participants rejected the 30 June Shutdown.
“This democracy that we have must be used by everybody who has a grievance to make sure that those grievances are addressed within democratic value systems that are enshrined in our constitution. Therefore, we do not support the breaking of the rule of law which other people are threatening and it is our hope that law enforcement agencies as indicated by government are ready to respond to those who will want to take advantage of the situation.”
Mahumapelo added that implementation of the Africa Continental Free Trade Area must be accelerated to resolve the challenges of poverty, unemployment and inequality that the the continent faces.
Unsurpringly, the ANC’s largest partner in the Government of National Unity, the Democratic Alliance (DA) has echoed its sentiments, calling on citizens to be united against attempts to divide with party Deputy Federal Chairperson Solly Malatsi saying the country needs to be more vocal against populists who are hell-bent on breaking its social fabric.
“It is very clear that these calls for a shutdown are dangerous, and what is increasingly becoming clear is that opponents of stability, progress, peace, and democracy are becoming more louder and more visible. This calls on all of us who believe in our democracy to unite stronger, to push back against these attempts to divide our communities and normalize criminality masquerading as protest. If we don’t do that, the scars that will emerge from these shutdowns will leave with many of us forever.”
The Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) has taken a stronger stance, calling for the arrest of leaders of anti-illegal immigrant groups. The party has lamented the conduct of these groups which it says has damaged the reputation of South Africa as a defender of human rights.
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“These crimes that have been committed by March and March and their groupings every time they protest they beat up Africans even those with a documentation get to be beaten up on a daily basis. So we call on a law enforcement agency to act on this crime. These people have declared that they are going to kill, they are going to do anything necessary to make sure that Africans leave. The people have declared a crime before they can commit a crime.We don’t know why they are not arrested even to this day. We say law enforcement agencies of South Africa ought to act and act immediately and arrest those who are declaring that on a certain day on the third year of June they shall be committing a crime,” says Nqobile Mhlongo, the EFF Head of International Relations and member of parliament.
There are however, those on the political landscape that have been unequivocal about their support for the anti-immigration groups, amongst them being ActionSA. Its leader, Herman Mashaba, was on hand to congratulate March and March on its protest action in Johannesburg, two months ago.
“Jacinta and March and March I am here to give my unconditional support to the work you are doing for our country. You are doing this for my grandchildren, you are doing this for my children because as a country we have reached a point where these foreigners have shown total respect to us so keep on doing this”
Meanwhile, the uMkhonto we Sizwe Party has moved to dissociate itself from any links with the March and March grouping lead by Jacinta Ngobese-Zuma. In a statement in response to a media report, which suggested a link between the 21 July Unrest and the upcoming shutdown, the party stated that party Founder and Former President Jacob Zuma has repeatedly called for peace, discipline and political activism, saying the article is a mischievous attempt to tarnish Zuma’s name.
That said, the country remains on a razor’s edge as 30 June looms.
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