Simon Nare
Acting Police Minister Firoz Cachalia has laid down the law and urged officers to be deployed to the June 30 demonstrations over illegal immigration to act decisively where the law is broken while carrying out their duties and treat everyone with dignity and respect.
“Exercise your powers fairly and impartially. Do not be provoked into conduct that undermines the badge you wear or the oath you have taken. Equally, do not hesitate to act decisively where the law is broken,” he told thousands of officers at the parade in Durban ahead of deployment.
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Cachalia reminded the officers that their role was not to take sides but to uphold the Constitution, enforce the law without fear, favour, or prejudice, while ensuring that public order was maintained.
The minister’s call came as reports of thousands of foreign nationals gathering in various parts of the country at diplomatic offices and embassies, pleading for their governments to help them return home.
There were reports of hundreds of Zimbabweans in Cape Town who had gathered at the Zimbabwean Consulate at District Six as the rain came down on them, pleading for help to track back home while hundreds of Malawians were gathered at Malawian Consulate in Woodmead outside Johannesburg, similarly asking for help to get back home before June 30.
The Zimbabweans had to move to a refugee center where they were processed as the rain came down hard at the consulate.
Cachalia told officers that as South Africans will be exercising their rights to demonstrate and express their views, the responsibility to ensure public order was maintained fell on their shoulders.
“You are entrusted with protecting both the rights of those who choose to demonstrate and the rights of every other person who lives, works or travels through the affected communities.
“These are not competing responsibilities—they are complementary constitutional obligations. Let me be unequivocal: the South African Police Service is not deployed to prevent lawful demonstrations,” he said.
The minister told the officers they must ensure the demonstrations were conducted safely, securely, and in an orderly manner while they protected life, safeguarded property, and prevented criminality.
He urged them to respond swiftly should any individual seek to exploit these legitimate grievances to commit acts of violence, intimidation, vandalism, or any other offence.
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Cachalia said every officer derived their authority from the law and their conduct must always remain within the confines of the law, and that professionalism, discipline, and restraint were not optional but rather fundamental to policing in a constitutional democracy.
The minister warned the officers to be alert at all times as public gatherings tend to change rapidly and criminal conduct, regardless of who commits it or under what banner it is committed, must be dealt with firmly and lawfully.
“Good planning, clear communication, effective coordination, and disciplined execution will be critical to ensuring the safety of both demonstrators and the wider public. Work closely with your commanders, remain vigilant, and support one another throughout your deployment.
“The public will judge not only the outcome of Tuesday’s operations, but also the manner in which you conduct yourselves. Your professionalism has the power to build confidence in policing and to demonstrate that the rule of law remains the cornerstone of our democracy,” he said.
The minister said he had confidence that they would execute their duties with integrity and that the majority of South Africans wanted peace, stability, and safety.
