PHUTI MOSOMANE
PRESIDENT Cyril Ramaphosa took a swipe at the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) protests that took place on Monday, saying that the country should reject every effort to erode the rights of others, including compelling them to protest.
Ramaphosa was delivering his Human Rights Day commemoration address in De Aaar, Northern Cape, on Tuesday.
“Even though others would want to diminish this democracy, even though others would want to abuse the rights of others, intimidate them, compel them to participate in a protest, compel them to participate in days when they should not go to work,” said Ramaphosa.
“I am happy that the majority of South Africans did not heed the call, but they exercised their rights as South Africans.”
Ramaphosa said Human Rights Day was day in which the country reaffirmed the pledge not only to safeguard and uphold these rights at all times, but to strive to ensure that all people may exercise these rights to their fullest.
He added that government is aware of the lack of service delivery, especially in municipalities and it will correct the issues.
“We know that people who work in municipalities are lazy and are stealing the money set aside for projects. We are aware of it and we say as government we will fix the issue. Those who steal the money, we will make sure that they get arrested,” said Ramaphosa.
“Those who are not prepared to work and serve the people, we say they must go. All our people must be well served. I do want everyone who works in government to know that when we don’t do our work, we are violating human rights of our people,”
Speaking at the same event, Minister of Justice, Ronald Lamola, stated that bullying of any kind will not be tolerated in South Africa.
“No minority party can impose its will on the people. You constitute government by a majority vote, and not [through] bullying and intimidation,” Lamola said.
“South Africa is a well-functioning Constitutional democracy, with democratically elected public representatives and a functional State machinery.”
The EFF, African Transformation Movement, African People’s Convention (APC), SAFTU and the Land Party took part in a national shutdown in Pretoria on Monday.
EFF Leader Julius Malema said the national shutdown was the most successful protests since the dawn of democracy in South Africa.
Although no major incidents of intimidations or violence were reported in Pretoria, law enforcement officers through the National Joint Operational and Intelligence Structure (NATJOINTS) have in the last two days arrested 87 protestors across the country for public violence related offences.
Of the eighty-seven arrested, 41 were arrested in Gauteng, 29 in North West, 15 in Free State. There are also arrests in other provinces such as Mpumalanga and the Eastern Cape. Updates will be provided as and when information becomes available.
At least 24 300 tyres have been confiscated by law enforcement agencies. These were tyres that were strategically placed for acts of criminality.
6000 were seized in the Western Cape, 4500 in the Free State, 3600 in Gauteng, 1513 in the Eastern Cape and a few in other provinces.
APC leader Themba Godi told Inside Politics that the national shutdown was a success.
“The protest was peaceful. The message was loud and clear. We are fighting a system, and not a person. We want to push for new national consensus that will result in better conditions for Africans,” he said.
INSIDE POLITICS
