BALDWIN NDABA
SPOOKS, police, traffic officers and senior Gauteng government officials have vowed to root out criminals who are attacking and damaging the properties of local government councillors.
The recent attacks on councillors’ properties in Soweto and other parts of Gauteng province prompted a high-powered meeting yesterday, which included state security agencies and the National Prosecuting Authority.
Speaking to the media after the meeting, Gauteng MEC for Community Safety Faith Mazibuko said the attacks were spearheaded by criminals wanting to cause anarchy.
“The meeting noted that, in certain instances, criminal elements are involved with the planning of these protests, to use them as conduits to commit criminal acts, including undermining and attacking elected public representatives and their property.
“The provincial government will not tolerate an unsafe environment for elected public representatives in places where they live.
We also call upon community organisations and structures to defend our public representatives,” she said.
Those responsible for illegal gatherings in Soweto and parts of Gauteng would face immediate arrest.
“No illegal gathering will be tolerated in Gauteng. All the people, including trade unions, who want to march in the city centre and in the townships, must seek permission 14 days prior to the event.If not, (the) organisers will be arrested and charged.”
The Public Order Policing Unit would play a greater role in ending these protests and the crime intelligence units would help to quell protests in the formative stages.
“We cannot allow these illegal marches to continue. Businesses close shops during these marches because these protesters are destroying their properties.
The police will act on these protesters, but we will not tolerate brutal attacks on people,” Mazibuko pledged.
She also said the police would study crowd management to ensure legal marches were properly managed.
She downplayed the role of those wearing ANC T-shirts and chanting ruling party-related freedom songs during these violent attacks, saying the shirts were easily available.
She was quick to point out that the recent outbreak of violence at Dube Hostel in Soweto was a fight for political terrain between the IFP and breakaway National Freedom Party.