By Lehlohonolo Lehana.
The South African Defence Force (SANDF) members will primarily be tasked with protecting National Key Points, which are deemed to be under threat by intelligence from PROVJOINTS.
The Chief of the SANDF, General Rudzani Maphwanya, has been tasked and authorised to deploy various elements to render assistance to the police and other state departments in anticipation of the planned national shutdown protest marches across the country.
The EFF is planning a national shutdown to call for an end to load shedding.
The party also wants President Cyril Ramaphosa to resign.
“The SANDF elements will be deployed under “Operation PROSPER” as from 17 March 2023 to 17 April 2023 and will be controlled through the Provincial Joint Operational and Intelligence Structure (PROVJOINTS) with direction and guidance by the National Joint Operational and Intelligence Structure (NATJOINTS) accordingly pending the re-assessment of the situation,” the SANDF said in a statement on Friday.
“The primary focus of the SANDF deployment will be to render protection of National Key Points under threat as per prevailing intelligence/information on hand per respective PROVJOINTS. Response to situations which go beyond the control of the law enforcement agencies in support to the police as determined by the respective PROVJOINTS”.
The force says its deployment will also ensure the safety of South Africans.
“It must be noted that the SANDF gets requested from time to time to assist the SAPS in crime prevention operations. This is executed in line with one of the government outcomes of making sure that all South Africans are and feel safe”.
The South African Federation of Trade Unions (Saftu) meanwhile has vowed to intensify the protests against load shedding and youth unemployment beyond Monday’s national shutdown.
The trade union federation will be part of the EFF-led shutdown.
The federation’s general-secretary Zwelinzima Vavi, who briefed the media on their plans on Friday, said the federation want an end to load shedding, a just transition to renewable energy while saving all jobs, an end to crime and corruption and intervention in the high cost of living.
“Our protest action is going to be peaceful, we want to emphasise this. We are not the products of violence, we do not advance violent agendas against society. We are not products of any kind of intimidation or robbing other people of their right to exercise the constitution of South Africa, it is going to be a peaceful demonstration.”
Vavi slammed the briefing by ministers from the Justice, Crime Prevention and Security cluster on Thursday, saying it only served to create panic.
“This whole press conference yesterday by ministers and a statement by the president, it is a panic on their side and they have a reason to panic perhaps because the lid is going to be taken off from the pot, from Monday going forward.