![[File Image] Members of the SANDF on guard during the July Unrest.](https://www.sabcnews.com/sabcnews/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/SABC-News-SANDF-SiphoKekana1-750x423.jpg)
The Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) has rejected the deployment of the army across the country ahead of the party’s planned nationwide shutdown tomorrow. This comes after the government announced that more than 3 400 members of the South African Defence Force have been deployed in South Africa to support the police in securing law and order in the next month in South Africa.
The EFF has slammed this move by the government, saying it demonstrated that the government was intolerant to dissent.
“This act demonstrates the bloodthirsty nature of the current government and the intolerance of the ruling party to dissent and opposition,” reads the EFF statement in part.
The party says the deployment of the army ahead of the much-anticipated nationwide protest was unconstitutional, calling it an apartheid tactic.
“South has degenerated into a military state, and the deployment of the army to suppress the constitutional right to protest, means we have returned to the dark days of apartheid. The current deployment of the army and law enforcement agencies, has surpassed that of the apartheid regime in the 80s during the State of Emergency, meaning that Ramaphosa has declared war on the people of South Africa,” says the EFF.
EFF Rejects The Deployment Of SANDF Ahead Of The National Shutdown pic.twitter.com/MzxoYaPQE5
— Economic Freedom Fighters (@EFFSouthAfrica) March 19, 2023
The EFF in the Free State says no amount of intimidation will deter their planned shutdown. They have alleged that the police paid their leaders unofficial visits.
National Shutdown l EFF FS says no amount of intimidation will deter their planned shutdown:
The EFF has slammed this in the statement.
“The scenes of military personnel descending into the townships of South Africa, policemen searching the homes and cars of citizens without warrants or just cause, and shutting down tyre shops reveal a paranoid government that is capable of grave human rights violations.”
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People are angry, they’re not employed, the sun rises and sets without any hope of any job and the politicians of the ruling party takes and platform and say we are going to create jobs year after year pic.twitter.com/Q4z2ysNhkI
— Economic Freedom Fighters (@EFFSouthAfrica) March 18, 2023
Presidential spokesperson Vincent Magwenya says the deployment of heavy police forces and the South African National Defence Force is an attempt to ensure that South Africans are protected during the nationwide shutdown tomorrow.
The EFF along with the support of the South African Federation of Trade Unions (Saftu), among others, is expected to embark on national protest action calling for President Cyril Ramaphosa to resign.
The party’s protest is also against the rolling blackouts.
Last week, the security cluster announced measures to mitigate against the impact of the strike action.
“The state has a responsibility to protect critical infrastructure. The state has a responsibility to ensure that citizens can go on about their day tomorrow in a normal way and when doing so, that they are safe and that they are not subjected to any anarchy or any form of violence. The president has stated that as much as the right to protest is guaranteed and protected under our constitution, equally that right is not absolute and that right is not a ticket to any form of anarchy or violence,” says Magwenya.
National Shutdown | SANDF deployed for service, in cooperation with the SAPS:
