The provincial chairperson of the EFF, Mapheule Liphoko, expressed his disappointment with the government's reaction to the EFF's planned national shutdown and says he is "disgusted by the police, who were raiding and taking everything they deemed fit in Botshabelo when the EFF was busy mobilising". 

ALSO READ: Dukwana meets with police commissioner ahead of shutdown

The Free State Premier, Mxolisi Dukwana, last week labeled the shutdown a "desperate attempt by individuals in pursuit of narrow gains." This follows a meeting with the provincial police commissioner at the OR Tambo building in Bloemfontein on Friday 17 March 2023.

Liphoko says the current police visibility is shocking. "This is the same police that are not around when the crime stats are high, and all of a sudden they are well equipped and well staffed."

He says the shutdown is "solely based on restoring the dignity of the poor masses who continue to suffer under the state that has taken electricity and jobs from them in the form of load-shedding while lives are lost in health facilities as a result of poor services".

"We demand total restoration of electricity, and it has been evident that there's just no political will, but the state is able; otherwise, where do they get all these soldiers from? Where do they get these police from? The state is able to deal with and discharge full services. Is capable, but lacks political will. So our plans are in place, we are going to flock the streets, it's going to be peaceful," he said.

Liphoko noted that there are some groups in the community that will try to take advantage of their protest march to push their own agendas. He says the police have to deal with such groups decisively.

OFM News