EFF Deputy President Floyd Shivambu said the highly anticipated national shutdown has achieved its purpose of closing down businesses across the country.
Police came out in numbers anticipating a showdown with the EFF members everywhere they marched but so far there were no major incidents involving protesters.
In an unprecedented move, the police even allowed private security companies to join forces and be part of those said to be protecting members of the public and property.
Police Minister Bheki Cele started the day by elling the men and women in blue uniform to arrest whoever breaks the law during the demonstrations. The heavy presence of Inyalas accompanied by heavily armed police officers monitored the marchers closely.
Shivambu, speaking outside Sandton Convention Centre having led the march from Alexandra declared the strike a success despite the non-participation of taxi associations such as South African National Taxi Council (Santaco) and a major bus company which was ordered not to ferry marchers if it still wanted to do business with the government.
“It (Strike) has achieved exactly what we needed to achieve with all the stores having been closed down and people cannot claim it was because there were no taxis because Santaco taxis were available. All taxi drivers were at work today,” he said.
He said people heeded to EFF’s call to stay home, adding that President Cyril Ramaphosa has shown no interest in the country and must step down.
“It is not a mistake that we are calling for Ramaphosa to step down, we know he is the one who went to promise the Europeans and Americans that we are going to close coal power stations. If you close the power station where are you going to get electricity,”? he asked.
“We are not going to fold our arms when Ramaphosa is destroying this country,” he said.
Shivambu said the EFF MMC of Public Safety Mgcini Tshwaku instructed the JMPD to remove security officers from the march in Sandton.
The march moved to Eskom headquarters Megawatt Park. Earlier another march took place in Hillbrow and Yeoville closely followed by heavily armed police officers.
