AFRICA ( commonwealth Union ) _ Protestors demand President Cyril Ramaphosa’s resignation due to the economy’s slowdown and blackouts. On Monday, as protesters attempted to stop the nation, thousands of troops were deployed throughout South Africa, and dozens of individuals were taken into custody.
To protest President Cyril Ramaphosa’s management of the weak economy, electricity shortages, and high unemployment, the left-wing Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) mobilized supporters.
Despite assurances from the government African National Congress (ANC) that things will carry on as usual, the protests stoked concerns about a repeat of the violence that killed at least 350 people in days of rioting and looting in 2021.Authorities claim that 87 people were detained for violence in the hours prior to the commencement of the protests after 3,500 military and police joined forces.
The authorities said that shop owners reported being bullied into closing their doors and that thousands of tires were seized after being heaped up as barricades to be burned.According to Mr. Ramaphosa’s spokesman, Vincent Magwenya, “The president has directed law enforcement authorities to make sure that we do not have to see a repetition of those events that we saw back in 2021.
“The state has a duty to make sure that citizens can go about their daily lives in a normal manner, that they are safe, and that they are not subjected to any anarchy or other forms of disorder while doing so,” On Monday morning, there were no reported incidents on the streets of Pretoria or Johannesburg. Many businesses had their shutters down and were closed.
The EFF is South Africa’s third largest political party and has support among poor and working-class Black South Africans who believe they have not profited from the end of white minority rule in 1994. The EFF sees itself as “a radical and militant economic emancipation movement.”
The EFF disputes accusations that the party has utilized anti-white language. The shutdown might act as a gauge of how well-liked the EFF is before the national elections in 2024. The Nelson Mandela-led African National Congress (ANC), which has been in power since 1994, has gradually lost support as a result of citizens’ disappointment with the country’s weak economy, widespread corruption, and high levels of crime.
