Durban — The National Freedom Party (NFP) is condemning the insightful statements by members of the EFF.
The leader of the NFP in Parliament, Ahmed Munzoor Shaik Emamr called on law enforcement agencies to uphold the rule of law and ensure the safety of all citizens.
He said they remain committed to protecting the rights of all citizens and ensuring that their voices are heard.
“However, we will not stand for any duplicity or publicity stunts aimed at creating chaos, especially when those attempting to incite violence have allegations of corruption hanging over their heads,” he said.
Moreover, he called for calm ahead of the shutdown and said they affirm the rights of citizens to engage in peaceful protests to express their dissatisfaction with the government and its policies.
“While we recognize the frustrations of citizens, we urge all parties to express their grievances in a peaceful and lawful manner. Violence, destruction of property, and any other unlawful conduct will not be tolerated during the planned shutdown,” said Shaik Emam.
He added that the political analysts have raised concerns regarding the potential impact of the planned shutdown on the economy and the country as a whole. Shaik Emam said while the protest is organised by the EFF, they cannot deny that South Africans are tired of continuous load shedding, widespread unemployment, and crime. “We therefore affirm the right of citizens to express their dissatisfaction through peaceful protest,” he said.
“We call on all citizens to exercise their right to protest responsibly and peacefully. Moreover,
We call on the government to not use this protest as a smokescreen. Urgent solutions are needed to address the energy crisis, with a clear timeline of ending this continuous load shedding,” added Shaik Emam.
He added that the NFP remained committed to engaging with any party willing to engage constructively on how they can hold the government accountable. However, he said they refuse to be drawn into publicity stunts orchestrated by people whose credibility on the issue of corruption is in question.
“History is a beautiful teacher. Much investigation was done into the collapse of the Limpopo government, and VBS specifically, and the role of the EFF leadership in that. That being said, we still affirm their right to protest peacefully without intimidation, and we hope that the EFF respects the right of other citizens to choose not to participate in this protest,” concluded Shaik Emam
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