Democratic Alliance (DA) leader John Steenhuisen has sought to clarify the party’s reasons for filing urgent court applications in the lead-up to next week’s national shutdown, saying violent threats to the public must be retracted.
Monday’s national shutdown, being organised by the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF), is to call on President Cyril Ramaphosa to resign and for an end to rolling blackouts.
Discussion on EFF national shutdown, DA Federal congress candidates: Lazola Ndamase
Steenhuisen says despite the public having the right to protest, the EFF cannot force businesses and employees to sacrifice their income.
“If you look at our court papers, the thrust of the argument is to have the threats of disruption for people who don’t participate, withdrawn and to ensure that all local regulations are complied with for the gatherings of the EFF and the retraction of the threats of violence that have been made by several EFF leaders on public platforms.
We have never once said that the march should be stopped. It is a right for people to protest. We have done so but these have been done peacefully, in a way that does not disrupt business people and no threats have ever been made to people, that if they don’t participate in a DA march, that there will be consequences for them.”
EFF outlines its plans for the national shutdown on the 20th of March
