PRESIDENT Cyril Ramaphosa has called for calm after violent protests linked to the arrest of former president Jacob Zuma impacted key trade routes in KwaZulu-Natal.
In a statement on Saturday, the presidency called on communities in the province to desist from undermining the rule of law and inflicting damage on the economy.
“President Cyril Ramaphosa has called on communities in KwaZulu-Natal to desist from undermining the rule of law and inflicting damage on the economy,” the Presidency said in a statement.
“President Ramaphosa says the impact of public violence against the road freight industry and damage to freeways that serve as economic arteries will be felt also by the people organising and committing these crimes.”
Presidency added: “The president says the reasons allegedly advanced for the violence in KwaZulu-Natal cannot be used to legitimise vandalism and public violence.
“The constitution protects the right to protest but protests cannot be abused to break the law or to destroy property and threaten livelihoods. Criminal elements must be met with the full might of the law. The president therefore commends the SA Police Service for their efforts to quell violence. The president endorses the call by KwaZulu-Natal premier Sihle Zikalala for calm in the province and for citizens to express themselves within the bounds of the law.”
The protests led to the closure of a key trade route in the country after trucks were torched and roads blocked, Bloomberg reported.
Parts of the N3 Toll Route, linking the province’s Durban Harbour with the nation’s economic hub of Gauteng, remain shut after trucks were set alight on the road on Friday night.
At least 27 people have been arrested, police said in a statement sent via text message.
The protests began this week as Zuma’s supporters called for his release. The former president has been sentenced to 15 months in jail for defying a court order to testify at a graft inquiry. He denies any wrongdoing.
The violent outbreak is a response to an “unjust” system, Jacob Zuma Foundation spokesman Mzwanele Manyi told Johannesburg-based broadcaster eNCA in an interview on Saturday.
“It is the result of a vicious sentence given to a 79-year-old man without giving him the right to a fair trial
- With reporting by Bloomberg
