Police Minister Bheki Cele says visible policing made it possible for officers to effectively manage the national shutdown on Monday.
He made the comment on the sidelines of briefing Parliament’s Police Portfolio Committee on the rural strategy of the SAPS. The EFF initiated the national shutdown to demand the resignation of President Cyril Ramaphosa and an end to rolling blacks.
Cele says the protests were generally incident-free.
“Nothing beats visibility. Police were called back, no leave. one thing we wanted to do was to put police close to masses. The use of SANDF was very limited, you found them at airports and strategic roads.”
Meanwhile, EFF leader Julius Malema praised the bravery of protestors who heeded his party’s call for the national shutdown. He also urged South Africans not to tire to hold government accountable.
Malema addresses protestors:
