ANC Commends Citizens for Acting Patriotically by Resisting EFF’s “Attempts to Paralyse” SA With the Shutdown

• The African National Congress has released an official statement about the EFF national shutdown
• The ruling party applauded South Africans who didn't participate in the shutdown as active and patriotic citizens
• The ANC also commended the security cluster for acting swiftly to keep the country from descending into chaos

JOHANNESBURG - The African National Congress is taking a victory lap after the EFF's countrywide protest on Monday, 20 March.

The ruling party released a statement on what it termed the EFF's "so-called shutdown", celebrating South Africans who did not participate in the protests for being "active and patriotic citizens".

The ANC claimed by resisting the EFF's call for a shutdown, citizens refused to be co-opted into an anti-democracy agenda that aimed to undermine the state and remove a democratically elected government.

The government party also applauded the security cluster's responsiveness during the shutdown. The ANC said the state security machinery's preparedness prevented SA from being plunged into chaos.

Read also

Fikile Mbalula continues to slam EFF’s shutdown, accuses protesters of being anti-democratic

ANC secratary-general Fikile Mbalula held a media briefing outside Luthuli House where he said government beefed up security during the protest because it didn't want a reoccurrence of the 2021 shutdown, IOL reported.

Mbalula said:

"A responsible state cannot allow that recurrence especially if you are forewarned. You have got to cover the basis of the whole country because you don’t know where it’s going to erupt."

South Africans react to the ANC's statement

Below are some comments:

@Antonio87092873 said:

"It is over the shutdown was peaceful and the ANC government showed South Africans that it is efficient and capable."

@_amorh slammed:

"Imagine a big party writing statements about a small party."

@SupatselaHi criticised:

"Y'all are having a meltdown over a 'so-called shutdown'. Mbalula is pathetic."

@MossWalker1 commented:

Read also

Dali Mpofu brands national shutdown as successful, claiming every South African engaged with EFF’s message

"The so-called government worked for the first time since '94. Having military, private security and all the police and new recruits on the streets to guard against the so-called #NationalShutdown."

ANC SG Fikile Mbalula slams national shutdown and says “SA is not a banana republic,” citizens fuming

In another story, Briefly News reported that African National Congress secretary-general Fikile Mbalula expressed annoyance over the national shutdown.

Mbalula took to Twitter to say the country is not a “banana republic” in reference to the EFF's planned protest. His comments on Sunday, 19 March, came after some protesting students in Braamfontein were arrested.

The ANC SG also scoffed at the EFF for claiming that the protest would be peaceful.

Source: Briefly News