DA Files Urgent Application to Interdict EFF’s National Shutdown, Wants Court to Declare Mass Action Unlawful

• The Democratic Alliance has applied for an urgent interdict against the Economic Freedom Fighters' national shutdown
• The opposition party claims that the EFF's mass action should be declared unlawful because the party had not given notice
• The Johannesburg High Court judge reserved judgement until 10am Saturday, 18 March, when parties will be notified electronically

JOHANNESBURG - In a last-ditch attempt to halt the Economic Freedom Frighters' (EFF) national shutdown, the Democratic Alliance ran to the Johannesburg High Court for an urgent interdict on Friday, 17 March.

The main opposition party want the high court to declare the mass protest set to occur on Monday, 20, March unlawful. The party also wants the EFF interdicted from closing schools, businesses and roads, EWN reported.

The South African Property Owners Association (Sapoa) is also seeking to prevent protesting EFF members from unlawfully interfering with, harassing and assaulting members of the public.

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DA and EFF lawyers go head to head over lawfulness of national shutdown in Johannesburg High Court

The DA's lawyer Andrew Redding told the Johannesburg High Court that the national shutdown should be declared unlawful on the grounds that no notice had been given to local authorities by the EFF.

According to Redding, this puts the red berets in contravention of the Regulations of Gathering Act.

Redding said:

“If a shutdown goes ahead and there are gatherings that occur, an inference should be drawn that these gatherings would be unlawful,”

The EFF's counsel Tshidiso Ramogale refuted Redding's claim, saying the act does not stipulate that the absence of a notice to gather makes a gathering unlawful.

The Democratic Alliance must wait until Saturday, 18 March, to know if its legal bid succeeded. The court reserved judgement until 10am when Judge Leicester Adams will send the parties the judgement electronically, TimesLIVE reported.

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South Africans slammed the DA for taking court action against EFF's national shutdown

Here's what South Africans are saying:

@niksanerd slammed:

"Nobody applied for an interdict when they caused issues blocking roads with all their blue people."

@MasheleVhikani said:

"The Court SA must reject it."

@Gawdly10 claimed:

"They'll do anything to defend Cyril. They have the same masters after all."

@Cameronmomoo commented:

"DA can't take ANC to court against their march in Pretoria today yet they head to court against the#EFFShutdown."

National shutdown: Cyril Ramaphosa says anarchy and disorder won’t be tolerated ahead of EFF’s mass protest

In another story, Briefly News reported that President Cyril Ramaphosa has broken his silence on the Economic Freedom Fighters' imminent national shutdown on Monday, 20 March.

Speaking at a media briefing at the Union Buildings on Thursday, 16 March, Ramaphosa said that government will not tolerate disorder and anarchy in South Africa.

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National shutdown: EFF agrees not to disrupt taxis after Santaco bows out of mass protest

The president revealed SA's security forces would be deployed to defend non-protesting citizens during Monday's mass protest, TimesLIVE reported.

Source: Briefly News