The SANDF may be deployed in KwaZulu-Natal next week amid the June 30 marches planned against illegal immigration.
Image: Timothy Bernard / Independent Newspapers
The army could be deployed to KwaZulu-Natal to assist police in containing any possible riots next week amid the June 30 protests, with additional officers set to be brought in from other provinces.
The police met with the business sector in Durban yesterday to brief them on the state of their readiness to deal with any criminal activity that might arise during the marches scheduled for next Tuesday. The event, hosted in Durban, was organised under the Durban Chamber of Commerce and Industry.
Organisations like March and March are leading nationwide marches against the presence of illegal immigrants in the country. The marches have sparked fears among the business community, who are concerned that they might be infiltrated by criminals, leading to incidents of looting or the destruction of infrastructure. There have been reports of violent incidents targeted at foreign nationals in some parts of the province which has led to thousands of Malawian nationals seeking repatriation while other nationalities have been leaving the country off their own volition.
The police, led by Acting Commissioner Major General Phumelele Makoba and Major General Anthony Gopaul, the Acting Deputy Provincial Commissioner for Crime Detection, assured the business sector that the province was ready for any challenges, and their plans are designed to adapt to any developing or changing situation.
The police briefed the business sector on classified plans being put in place for the day. The plan cannot be revealed publicly as it is classified, and hence it cannot be discussed or disseminated.
However, the police yesterday assured the business community that their intelligence officials are on the ground in every part of the province, working to ensure that they detect any illegal acts being planned for the day.
Major General Makoba told the business sector that there was no need to close their businesses on the day. "As far as we are concerned, Tuesday is a working day. We will not tolerate any disruption; we will not tolerate the disruption of the people who do not want to be part of the protest."
The Acting Police Commissioner was pressed to elaborate on the deployment of additional resources, including the army and additional police as a force multiplier. "As KwaZulu-Natal is one of the hotspot areas, we can confirm that a request has been made for the deployment of the army to the province. The request was made through the office of the minister, and we have not yet heard back."
"We can also confirm that there will be additional police officers from other provinces that will be deployed here; at the moment, we just cannot mention the numbers of those police," she said.
She added that the province will host the Minister of Police, Professor Firoz Cachalia, to assess plans and to see whether we need any additional resources. She called on the business community to assist, stating: "We have been engaging with the chamber, and we have areas that we could need assistance. We need air support; we only have one helicopter that we borrowed from Gauteng, and we also need assistance with drones."
Major General Gopaul urged the business community to do what is right, saying: "We cannot ignore and brush aside the concerns that have been raised by March and March and other organisations. We urge employers not to employ illegal foreigners, and we urge employers not to employ even legal foreigners who do not fall under the special skills category; that is illegal. We urge the employees to do what is right."
He assured the business community that they do not have to allow members of the community to invade their premises in search of illegal immigrants working.
"Operate your business (on the day); we (the police) will be there for you. The admission of rights in your business is reserved, and all the security access protocols for your business remain in place," he said.
The police assured the business community that all contingencies are in place, and even with the lessons learned from the looting in 2021, they said they have plans to contain the situation even if the protection extends beyond the Tuesday marches.
The business leaders also revealed that plans are afoot to ensure that there are no disruptions to traffic, including key freight routes. They stated that as the All Truck Drivers' Association has indicated its intention to join the strike, plans have been made to ensure that they cannot use their trucks to block traffic on key routes.
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