South African Politicians React to Violent Protests Happening in SA
- DA party leader John Steenhuisen has taken to Twitter to ask President Cyril Ramaphosa to deploy the SANDF in areas affected by violent protest
- EFF party leader Julius Malema also took to Twitter to share his thoughts about the protests and has stated that the police and SANDF should not be the first call of response
- Former DA party leader Mmusi Mainmane condemned the violence taking place in his hometown of Dobsonville
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The Democratic Alliance issued a statement on Monday in which they called on President Cyril Ramaphosa to deploy the South African National Defence Force in the parts of South Africa currently gripped by violent protests.
The statement said that the violence in KwaZulu-Natal which has now spread to other provinces needed to be dealt with urgently by the government.
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Former president Jacob Zuma's supporters have taken to the streets to call for his release from prison. The protests have resulted in looting, burning down of businesses and destruction of property according to News24.
The party is also calling on Ramaphosa to convene a meeting with parliament on Monday 12 July to discuss the role of the SANDF as well as budget allocation for the deployment of police reservists to support SAPS.
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They are also calling for an emergency meeting with the National Joint Operational and Intelligence Structure (NATJOINTS) to establish a strategy in dealing with the current violence.
The DA's party leader John Steenhuisen also took to Twitter to address the unrest and has called on Ramaphosa to have a meeting with party leaders to discuss a way forward.
Former DA party leader Mmusi Maimane also took to Twitter to share his thoughts about the Zuma protests that are now being seen in Gauteng. He called for restraint and calm in his hometown of Dobonsville, stating that acts of violence cannot be condoned.
Economic Freedom Fighter leader Julius Malema criticised the government's response to the violence. Malema stated in a Twitter post on Sunday that the first line of response to the protests cannot be the SAPS or the SANDF. He added that leaders should be speaking to protestors.
His tweet read:
"You can't start with @SAPoliceService or @SANDF_ZA as the first call. The question should be: Where are the leaders to speak to their people? Are they scared of their people? And if the answer is yes, the next question should be: why are the leaders in the first place?"
In another tweet on Monday, Malema condemned the deployment of SANF officers. Malema emphasised that a political solution was needed to solve the current unrest and not soldiers.
"No soldiers on our streets! Otherwise, we are joining. All fighters must be ready... they won't kill us all. We need a political solution to a political problem, not soldiers.#NoToSoldiers," tweeted Malema.
Protests abrupt over Zuma’s arrest
Briefly News recently reported that Zuma’s loyal supporters have made it known that they are not happy about his imprisonment.
The protestors demanding the release of former president Jacob Zuma have taken to the streets of KwaZulu-Natal. The protests have spread across the country and have reached as far as the East Rand in Gauteng, Briefly News reported overnight the weekend.
The M2 was closed in both directions on Sunday as the protest action continued to spread. The Johannesburg Metro Police Department spokesperson Wayne Minnaar reported that the protestors had blockaded the road with burning tyres.
Besides shots being fired, shops have been looted and vehicles set on fire as the tense situation continues to escalate. Several people have already been arrested during the violent protests.
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Source: Briefly News
