Thys Khiba: Editor-In-Chief –
The failure by the governing party African National Congress (ANC) to end high rates of unemployment, Eskom power cuts has driven the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) and other stakeholders to embark on a national shutdown.
Frustrated protestors from various parts of the country decided to join the EFF on its national shutdown.
Joined by labour union Saftu, ATM, UDM, APC, PAC, the red berets demanded President Cyril Ramaphosa to step down.
EFF Leader Julius Malema with party Members at National Shutdown on Monday 20th March . Photo: @eff
As members of SAPS, SANDF and Metro police department patrolled South Africans were able to see that their country has thousands of soldiers, police officers and law enforcement agencies who can protect them against criminals, thugs, day-to-day illegal operations and perpetrators of gender based violence (GBV).
The red berets through the national shutdown managed to expose that the government under the leadership of Ramaphosa is willing to use security cluster respond to a shutdown to protect interest of capitalists who are running the economy.
Ramaphosa as the head of the state deployed soldiers to defend primarily the interest of capital.
Therefore, the president can successfully instruct police ministryto protect the interests of capital but fails to protect ordinary South Africans who are killed, abused and raped everyday.
The lives of black and ordinary people do not matter in South Africa.
Capitalism continues to work for the ruling class (capitalists and politicians/top state officials) as it maintains their highest living standards.
CIC @Julius_S_Malema with groundforces at church square, Tshwane for a peaceful demonstration
Activists have joined the call by the EFF to raise their voice to show their frustrations against the failing government led by the incompetent President Ramaphosa #NationalShutdown pic.twitter.com/HL8JMQnoMU
— Economic Freedom Fighters (@EFFSouthAfrica) March 20, 2023
Unfortunately, for struggling black working class (workers and the unemployed) capitalism has been an utter disaster.
Earlier this year, Police Minister Bheki Cele said police had reported 7555 murders in the three months, which was 669 more killings than in the preceding quarter.
This equated to 82 murders a day, up from 74 a day during the third quarter of 2021. Sexual assaults have 15 545 reported cases, up 1357 from the second quarter.
Cele indicated violent robberies, which involve the use of dangerous weapons, were at 37 829 in the third quarter, meaning a staggering 411 people were robbed everyday.
During the EFF national shutdown, businesses and companies were secured and protected by security cluster, whereas citizens are exposed to crime and injustices.
The South African president has again failed to deal with the reasons behind the national shutdown.
And this is mainly because businesses and infrastructure matters more than the poor and challenged citizens of this country.
Businesses owned by the Stellenbosch mafias and wealthybusiness owners matters more than human life.
The unfortunate part is that shooting and arresting protesters won’t end high rate of unemployment, high cost of living, questionable governmental performance of the governing party.
This argument and piece does not save the EFF from thecriticism of using people’s real issues for their own political agenda.
The red berets are politicians who will always have a political agenda and mandate. But they have managed to assist and help ordinary South Africans to share their frustrations and struggles.
EFF leader Julius Malema has commended and praised protestors for protesting in a dignified manner.
CENTRAL NEWS
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