National Shutdown: ANC, DA Dismiss EFF Protest As Flop, Mzansi Believes It Was Successful: “We Have Power”

• The African National Congress and Democratic Alliance have reduced the EFF's national shutdown to a resounding failure
• EFF leader Julius Malema claims the protest was a hit, seeing as businesses in Tshwane and the Johannesburg CBD were forced to close their doors
• South Africans also praised the shutdown, claiming that loadshedding was brought to a halt because of the EFF's activities

JOHANNESBURG - The Economic Freedom Fighters and its members filled various streets across South Africa as part of its national shutdown on Monday, 20 March.

EFF leader Julius Malema has taken a victory lap lauding the protest as a success, as many businesses, particularly in Tshwane and the Joburg CBD, were forced to close their doors for the day, News24 reported.

However, the ANC and DA beg to differ.

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The ruling party and the official opposition have poked holes in the success of the protest, claiming that it failed to live up to the hype.

ANC SG Fikile Mbalula claims EFF failed to incite an insurrection

ANC secretary general Fikile Mbalula took aim at the national shutdown before it concluded, claiming it was a flop.

Mbalua said the Red Berets had failed to shut the nation down through chaos, adding that the party's plan to use loadshedding to "incite an insurrection" had failed, TimesLIVE reported.

John Steenhuisen celebrates DA for stopping violence and intimidation

DA leader John Steenhuisen gave his party a pat on the back for securing an interdict that prohibited violence and intimidation during the protest.

Steenhuisen acknowledged that the EFF, its members and supporters had a constitutional right to protest but celebrated the DA for giving them no choice but to protest peacefully.

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The DA leader also appealed to the government and the security cluster for their response to the national shutdown and for keeping the peace.

South Africans believe the EFF made some headway with the national shutdown

Some people online have attributed the recent suspension of loadshedding due to the EFF's national shutdown.

Below are some comments:

@Workersday claimed:

"EFF has by far achieved its aim. Four days of uninterrupted power supply, law enforcement on the street and not in the barracks, ministers actively supervising their departments."

@tuse11 said:

"It's a failure only to those who were hoping there will be looting all over."

@Ancestorsassoc1 pointed out:

"Come here to Durban, all car dealerships have closed and moved cars to their warehouse."

@PPT_pkeey added:

"There are no people in the few shops that are open, so it was a success. Not even one truck went into the Richards Bay port to collect/deliver coal. "

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@NatesNautical said:

"In the rest of the country - big CBD areas came to a standstill. So really it wasn’t a failure."

Joburg CBD residents vow to prevent looting, SA says: “Looting is an ANC thing”

Earlier, Briefly News reported that a group of community members in the Johannesburg CBD planned to defend businesses in the area during the national shutdown.

While most shops were closed, some residents were ready to defend businesses from looters as the Economic Freedom Fighters' protest raged on.

Armed with a sjambok, Gudda Ngubane told TimesLIVE that he was ready to deal with those who cause trouble. He said police presence in the area was high, with officers on most streets.

Source: Briefly News