Transport Minister Fikile Mbalula has warned against lawlessness during protests, saying it undermines the authority of the State.
This follows incidents of looting and the torching of foreign-owned shops in Pretoria.
“Whether you are protesting about unfairness in relation to foreigners in terms of business acquisition in the country, nothing wrong with that, and calling on government to have a defined policy in relation to that, there’s nothing (wrong) in that, you can protest in numbers… but South Africa is a constitutional state and the rule of law must prevail. Where people have decided that the only route they can undertake to protest is to bring about lawlessness and project the state as though there is no authority of the state, and it won’t be nice,” says Mbalula.
The Minister was speaking after his meeting with civil rights organisation, Organisation Undoing Tax Abuse (OUTA), and the Automobile Association (AA) of South Africa on the e-tolls issue.
I’m currently holding a meeting with the Automobile Association (AA) to hear their views on on numerous transport issues of common interests between two us.
Ours is a listening and engaging government-my door remains open to civil society in #FixingTransport pic.twitter.com/CNSX2WHTEJ
— ANC SECRETARY GENERAL | fikile Mbalula (@MbalulaFikile) August 28, 2019
“We are working flat out and that is another leg… There are trade unions, civil society and political formation to talk and have their views, and today I met people who argued about the economic aspect of this issue. It shows they have done a lot of research and they are critical indeed, and it’s appreciated and it is constructive criticism.”
OUTA Chairperson Wayne Duvenage says they are optimistic that a solution will be found.
Mbalula says he will engage more role players including the Gauteng government in a bid to find solutions to the e-tolls debacle.
A task team headed by Mbalula is to submit a final report on the matter to President Cyril Ramaphosa by the end of the week.
Contribution to the process by civil society groups such as AA and OUTA is highly appreciated and is an indication that matters of common interest occupy the national discourse – and so it should ! #FixingTransport pic.twitter.com/7IUtCdq5yE
— ANC SECRETARY GENERAL | fikile Mbalula (@MbalulaFikile) August 28, 2019
