By Akani Nkuna
Police have suspended leave for some officers and warned protesters not to use the 30 June demonstrations over illegal immigration as cover for violence, road blockades, intimidation or unlawful identity checks.
Acting Police Minister Firoz Cachalia said police were ready to respond across the country, while KwaZulu-Natal police said they had identified potential hotspots and drawn up a provincial security plan to keep roads, businesses and communities functioning.
“I am satisfied that the police are ready for any eventuality,” Cachalia said during a press briefing in Cape Town.
He said police would protect lawful protest, but warned that immigration concerns did not give civilians the right to take enforcement into their own hands.
“There is no constitutional right to violence, no constitutional right to take the law into your own hands and no constitutional right to carry dangerous weapons while participating in a protest,” he said.
Cachalia
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