The Government has reported that police arrested at least 550 people during Monday’s general strike called by the opposition Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) party in protest of the country’s energy crisis.
In a statement they confirmed that the National Joint Operations and Intelligence Structure (NATJOINTS) arrested 149 people in the Gauteng region on Monday, 95 in the Northern Cape, 80 in the Eastern Cape and 64 in the Free State, these being the provinces with the highest number of arrests.
The arrested protesters are accused of, »among other things, public violence, intimidation, damage to critical infrastructure, theft and attempted looting,» NATJOINS spokesperson Athlenda Mathe said in a statement.
»We will continue to monitor the situation closely to ensure the safety of everyone in this country,» the spokesperson concluded.
For his part, President Ramaphosa has addressed the country on Monday to remind that although the South African Constitution guarantees the right of every citizen to demonstrate peacefully, this does not imply »harassing, intimidating or threatening anyone», nor »damaging property or causing harm to any person».
»A person’s right to protest must in no way infringe on another person’s right to life and dignity. It must not impede his freedom of movement and association, nor his right to exercise his trade,» he stressed.
Source: (EUROPA PRESS)
