A Quarter of a Million Security Personnel Prepared for 30 June Protests in Gauteng
- Businesses urged to stay confident amid fears of June 30 protests against illegal immigration
- Over 250,000 law enforcement personnel were deployed to prevent unrest replicating the July 2021 riots
- Intelligence-led strategies implement swift responses, ensuring the safety of Gauteng's critical infrastructure
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GAUTENG— The executive programme manager of Business Against Crime South Africa, Fouche Burger, stated that businesses should remain confident despite widespread anxiety over the upcoming June 30 protests. He spoke as law enforcement mobilised over 250,000 personnel across Gauteng to prevent a repeat of the devastating July 2021 unrest.
According to official statements, Burger spoke on Monday afternoon in Johannesburg ahead of the planned June 30 demonstrations against illegal immigration, where authorities monitored systems through a centralised fusion centre. Burger addressed business fears and said that the current security measures are not for an ordinary situation but a highly coordinated, multi-phased preventative strategy.
Business Against Crime remains confident
Burger said that over 500 private security companies partnered with police under the Eyes and Ears initiative. He stated that the operation includes 217,000 private security personnel, 13,000 police officers, 10,000 metro police, and 8,000 traffic wardens. The manager explained that intelligence gathered through the central command centre will allow swift responses to residential and commercial areas. Meanwhile, Gauteng police commissioner Lt-Gen Tommy Mthombeni confirmed that eight people have already been arrested during the initial intelligence-gathering phase.
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JMPD spokesperson Xolani Fihla advised motorists to expect severe traffic disruptions between 7 am and 4 pm. This massive security mobilisation specifically aims to safeguard critical infrastructure following historical precedents like the July 2021 riots, which caused over R50 billion in economic damage, claimed more than 350 lives, and led to widespread destruction across the entire Gauteng province. The police also held a press briefing on 29 June to discuss the shutdown.
View the briefing on X here:
Source: Briefly News
