The EFF has thanked thousands of people who heeded its call to stay away from work during the nationwide shutdown on Monday.
Protests and marches were held across the country to call for the immediate resignation of President Cyril Ramaphosa, an end to loadshedding, that government address high crime levels and gender-based violence.
EFF leader Julius Malema led hundreds of party supporters through the streets of Pretoria and called the event the most successful shutdown in the history of the struggle.
In a statement on Monday evening, the EFF said its shutdown was an expression of frustrations of “our people against high levels of crime, gender-based violence, unemployment, loadshedding and the lack of service delivery”.
“The day was marked by protests across the nation, however, they were not only successful but were not marked by a single incident of violence despite the massive fear-mongering by the state,” said EFF spokesperson Sinawo Thambo.
“The most damage was actually done by trigger-happy police and the state itself, which has needlessly spent R166 562 058 on a month-long deployment of the army.”
The red berets also claimed credit after Eskom suspended loadshedding for the day due to lower-than-expected demand of electricity.
“This is simply because no major industry operated today, and a majority of businesses heeded the call to close in anticipation of the shutdown.
“Buses and taxis did not operate in their majority. The malls, shopping centres and taxi ranks were empty. The trucks which usually transport the minerals of this country to the harbours were at a standstill, and numerous fuel stations were not operational.
“The people of South Africa have lost so much faith in Ramaphosa, that the message of the
EFF that the country would not operate was more assuring and believable than the
meaningless assurances of Ramaphosa and his cabinet combined.”
The party also commended its “disciplined ground forces” for executing the programme with the diligence “and serving humble pie to those who regard black people as hooligans who have no propensity to express themselves peacefully”.
Thambo said: “Today was only the beginning, let us all continue to intensify the calls for the immediate resignation of Cyril Ramaphosa on the picket lines, in the business sector and in governance.
“It is our duty to defend our nation from criminality and incompetence.”
Meanwhile, a total of 550 people have been arrested for attempting to loot shops and cause public violence, the national joint operational and intelligence structure (Natjoints) said on Tuesday.
The arrests took place on Monday during the EFF-led marches and protests.
In a statement, Natjoints said Gauteng recorded the highest number of arrests with 149 followed by Northern Cape with 95 arrests. Eighty people were nabbed in Eastern Cape and 64 people were held in Free State.
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