Police through the National Joint Operational and Intelligence Structure (NATJOINTS) say they have now arrested 87 protestors across the country for public violence-related offences.
The arrests come as members of the EFF protest against social and economic challenges faced by South Africans, including crime, corruption, load shedding and unemployment amongst others.
NATJOINTS spokesperson Athlenda Mathe says, “Of the 87 arrested, 41 were arrested in Gauteng, 29 in North West, 15 in Free State. There are also arrests in other provinces such as Mpumalanga and the Eastern Cape. Updates will be provided as and when information becomes available.”
“At least 24 300 tyres have been confiscated by law enforcement agencies. These were tyres that were strategically placed for acts of criminality – 6 000 were seized in the Western Cape, 4 500 in the Free State, 3600 in Gauteng, 1 513 in the Eastern Cape”
National Shutdown | Overview of the first 48 hours of law enforcement deployments
Meanwhile, the Black Business Council has appealed to the EFF and those engaging in protest action to respect the rights of those who choose not to participate.
The Council’s CEO is Kganki Matabane, “We are urging the government to ensure the safety of those who don’t want to participate in the protest and we expect the EFF to respect the rights of those who don’t want to participate. The Constitution allows for protests but not for those who want to interfere with those who aren’t interested. So, we urge all our members to be careful.”
National Shutdown | Update from OR Tambo International Airport:
