By Lehlohonolo Lehana.
The National Joint Operational and Intelligence Structure (NATJOINTS) says they were satisfied that all deployments were in place to ensure a peaceful and safe State of the National Address (SONA) set to take place at the Cape Town City Hall on Thursday.
The NATJOINTS structure responsible for coordinating all security and law enforcement operations throughout the country is led by the South African Police Service (SAPS), State Security Agency (SSA) and South African National Defence Force (SANDF).
In a statement on Wednesday, national police spokesperson Brigadier Athlenda Mathe said the structure has been meeting regularly in the build-up to SONA to ensure that the plans that are in place are adequate for the safety and security of participants, spectators, communities living near the Cape Town City Hall and businesses operating in this vicinity.
“The operational plan is in place and all critical role players are ready to execute their various responsibilities, as per their mandate.
“All law enforcement agencies led by the SAPS have mobilised resources to heighten police visibility with the aim of preventing and combatting any form of opportunistic crimes before, during and post the planned address,” Mathe said.
Residents of Cape Town, spectators and those who are operating businesses in the vicinity of the Cape Town City Hall are also advised about road closures by the City of Cape Town Traffic Services ahead of the delivery of the President’s State of the Nation Address on Thursday.
“It is important to emphasise that those who are not accredited or authorised to be in attendance should avoid the area around the Cape Town City Hall on Thursday, 8 February 2024.
“It is on that score that we urge the cooperation of those who will be in and around the vicinity of the Cape Town City Hall on the day.
“Any lawlessness and any form of criminality and any behaviour that contravenes the law will be dealt with accordingly. No disruptions will be allowed and tolerated by law enforcement,” Mathe said.
She said all law enforcement agencies securing the SONA are expected to execute their duties according to their constitutional mandate and within relevant prescripts before, during and after the main address.
Mathe said NATJOINTS is also policing build-up activities to the SONA and the four-day Investing in African Mining Indaba that is currently underway. Thus far, these events have been incident-free, with no incidents of disruption and criminality reported.
Meanwhile ActionSA president Herman Mashaba said the current government, under president Cyril Ramaphosa’s leadership, has reversed many of the gains made by previous administrations.
Mashaba said the current government, under Ramaphosa’s leadership, has reversed many of the gains made by previous administrations.
“One cannot hope to do the same thing over and over again and expect a different outcome. It is the same with the government. We cannot continue to vote for the same selfish leaders and expect our country to improve. I voted for the governments of Nelson Mandela and Thabo Mbeki, and they made some progress, but that progress has stalled,” said Mashaba.
“The president will once again make grand promises and speak of progress. We have heard these promises and lies of progress before, but by almost every measure, South Africans are worse off today than they were six years ago. Unemployment has increased, crime is on the rise, load shedding is more severe, and our infrastructure is in a worse state of decay.”