Johannesburg – Just a day after President Cyril Ramaphosa addressed the nation on the government’s latest response to the coronavirus pandemic, he was again in front of the nation’s screens, this time to address the violent protests and looting that brought the country to its knees on Monday.
Ramaphosa began his address by saying he has a heavy heart.
“Over the past few days and nights, there have been acts of public violence of a kind rarely seen in the history of our democracy,” Ramaphosa said.
“Property has been vandalised and destroyed. Shops have been looted. Law-abiding citizens have been threatened and intimidated,” Ramaphosa said.
Ramaphosa spoke on the deaths that occurred from the violent protests. He said, “At this hour, there are several families in our country that are in mourning. I speak of the families of Nkosikhona Chiza, Ndumiso Shezi, Khaya Mkhize, Zethembe Ndwandwe, Lindani Bhengu and Lindokuhle Gumede in Gauteng.”
“I speak of the families of Bhekani Ndlovu, Themba Mthembu, Aphiwe Gama and Cebo Dlamini in KwaZulu-Natal,” he added.
“Even as we know the high cost of this violence to property, to livelihoods and to businesses, the loss of human life is the greatest cost of all. As a nation our thoughts and prayers are with these families,” Ramaphosa said.
Costs to livelihoods
“Many South Africans are at this hour counting the cost to their livelihoods and property, to their shops and businesses, to their safety and security. Many more South Africans are feeling anxious and afraid. Parts of the country are reeling from several days and nights of public violence, destruction of property and looting of the sort rarely seen before in the history of our democracy. It started with the burning of trucks at Mooi River in KwaZulu-Natal this past Saturday and was followed by blockades of roads in the northern parts of the province and the looting of shops in Ethekwini and Pietermaritzburg,” Ramaphosa said.
Arrests made
“Thanks to the work of our law enforcement agencies 166 suspects have been arrested in KwaZulu-Natal and 323 suspects had been arrested in Gauteng in relation to these incidents,” Ramaphosa said.
Nevertheless, violence is continuing in many areas.
Some have characterised these actions as a form of political protest.https://t.co/ebZsHoiUzR— Cyril Ramaphosa 🇿🇦 (@CyrilRamaphosa) July 12, 2021
“This violence may indeed have its roots in the pronouncements and activities of individuals with a political purpose, and in expressions of frustration and anger. At the beginning of this unrest, there may have been some people who sought to agitate for violence and disorder along ethic lines. We know that the majority of our people have out of principle refused to be mobilised along these ethnic lines.”
Criminality
“However, what we are witnessing now are opportunistic acts of criminality, with groups of people instigating chaos merely as a cover for looting and theft. There is no grievance, nor any political cause, that can justify the violence and destruction that we have seen in parts of KwaZulu-Natal and Gauteng.”
A right to protest
“Our Constitution guarantees the right of every person to protest, to organise, to engage in free expression and free association. Our Constitution is very clear on these issues. It gives every person an equal right to protection before the law, and confers on every person a responsibility to respect and uphold the rights of others. Our Constitution is the foundation of the rule of law in our country. It was fought for by many,” the president stated.
“It is this rule of law that guards against the abuse of power, that protects the poor and the vulnerable, that enables our society to function and our economy to develop in the interests of the people,” Ramaphosa added.
Innocents
“The victims of the violence that is unfolding now – the workers, the truck drivers, the business owners, the parents and families of those who have lost their lives – have done nothing wrong whatsoever,” Ramaphosa said.
Destruction
“Although these may be opportunistic acts of looting driven by hardship and poverty, the poor and marginalised bear the ultimate brunt of the destruction currently underway. Shops have been looted and infrastructure destroyed,” Ramaphosa said.
RISK
“This means that our sick cannot get medication from pharmacies, food does not reach supermarket shelves, and health workers cannot go to work. We will soon be facing a huge risk of food security and medicine security in a matter of weeks. Our vaccination programme has been severely disrupted just as it is gaining momentum. This will have lasting effects on our ability to consolidate some of the progress we were already witnessing in our economic recovery,” Ramaphosa said.
SANDF
“We are therefore mobilising all available resources & capabilities to restore order. As the Commander-in-Chief of the South African Defence Force, I have today authorised the deployment of Defence Force personnel in support of the operations of the South African Police Service,” Ramaphosa said.
He further stated:
“The National Joint Operational and Intelligence Structure – known as NatJOINTS – has intensified deployments in all the affected areas in KwaZulu-Natal and Gauteng.
The South African Police Service is putting measures in place to call up operational members from leave and rest-days to increase the presence of law enforcement personnel on the ground.
The NatJOINTS is receiving support from the Intelligence Coordinating Committee, comprising of SAPS Crime Intelligence, Defence Intelligence and State Security.In addition to greater visibility and an intelligence-driven presence in potential hotspots, we will be prioritising the prosecution of suspects alleged to be involved in this violence.”
Plan of action
“The National Security Council, which I chair as Commander-in-Chief, will be meeting twice a day to coordinate all measures necessary to restore stability,” Ramaphosa said.
“Let me be clear: we will take action to protect every person in this country against the threat of violence, intimidation, theft and looting. We will not hesitate to arrest and prosecute those who perpetrate these actions and will ensure that they face the full might of our law,” Ramaphosa further declared.
“We will restore calm and order so that we can get on with the task of rebuilding this country and creating a better life for its people. The passage of time has not erased from our memories the dark days when sinister elements stoked the flames of violence in our communities to try and turn us against each other. We live with these memories still.”
Remembering Apartheid
“As we confront this challenge, we should remember how – at another time in our history, as we were preparing for democratic change – we came together as a society to end the violence that was rampant in many communities,” Ramaphosa said.
“We came together – as religious leaders, traditional leaders, trade unions, businesses, community organisations, political parties, NGOs and others – to bring peace to our nation. Now we need to come together again, for each of us to play our part in restoring calm to those areas that have been affected by violence; for each of us to stand up for the rule of law and for the peaceful resolution of conflict,” he furter added.
Business Impact
“This afternoon, Ministers and senior officials in the economic and the security clusters met with Business Unity South Africa to take stock of the situation and to develop coordinated actions. We have agreed to work together to ensure the safety of drivers, cashiers, patients and customers. We have agreed to share information and resources to ensure that we restore key supply chains. We are making arrangements for government leaders and public representatives as part of their responsibilities to meet with leaders in various communities to promote stability.”
Fake News
“We should refrain from posting and circulating inflammatory messages on social media, and from spreading rumours or false reports that may create further panic among our people. No-one should take the law into their own hands. Rather, we should join those individuals and communities who are working with the police to prevent looting, and those members of the public who have provided tip-offs and information about instances of criminality,” Ramaphosa said.
Ramaphosa thanked communities who tried to stop the looting. He said, “I wish to thank communities who have taken time to engage each other to stop incidents of looting, all operational members and commanders of the SAPS and all agencies for responses to acts of violence & provocation, which has helped to avert bloodshed & limit the loss of lives.”
Third Wave
“There is a danger that these events will lead to an even greater surge in infections, putting many more lives at risk and placing a greater burden on our health facilities and personnel,” Ramaphosa said.
Watch Ramaphosa’s full address below:
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