The Democratic Alliance (DA) has condemned the Economic Freedom Fighters’ (EFF’s) call for a national shutdown, planned for March 20, announcing that it is heading to court for an urgent interdict against the red berets, so that “looters and anarchists” can be stopped.

The EFF announced that it would hold a national shutdown to protest continuing loadshedding and that it would call for President Cyril Ramaphosa to resign.

The party also urged businesses to shut down on the day of the protest to avoid being looted.

DA leader John Steenhuisen said on Tuesday that this was not only illegal, but also a nonsensical demand. He said it made no sense at all to instigate a nationwide shutdown to protest loadshedding.

The DA will head to court to ensure that the EFF complies with the conditions of permits issued by relevant municipalities giving permission for peaceful protests.

“Shutting the economy down for a day will do nothing at all to solve this problem that has been decades in the making. On the contrary, it will only push South Africa deeper into chaos and poverty,” Steenhuisen stressed.

He said his party was deeply concerned by the intimidatory tactics being employed by EFF members, who were threatening “consequences” for any business that stayed open to trade on the day of the protest, and for any adult or child who went to work or school on that day.

The DA intends to press charges against the EFF and hold them personally liable for any damage done to person, property, lives and livelihoods perpetrated during the “so-called shutdown”.

The DA leader said it would be a mistake to underestimate the damage that the EFF’s looming national shutdown could cause to businesses and workers.

Steenhuisen explained that the party’s lawyers had drafted a template affidavit, which could be used by any business owner who was intimidated by any EFF representatives, to report such behaviour and press formal charges of intimidation against the leadership of the EFF and its local representatives who acted on behalf of the party’s national leadership.

The DA has written to Police Minister Bheki Cele highlighting the imminent threat the EFF’s planned nationwide shutdown poses to the economy, public and private infrastructure, as well as to the safety of citizens.

“We have called on Minister Cele to issue a strong statement against the national shutdown and assure South Africans that the South African Police Service (Saps) and the entire security cluster is on standby to respond to violence,” said the party.

The DA has also written to Ramaphosa asking him to issue a stern pre-emptive warning that no violence, vandalism or intimidation would be tolerated, and that any such behaviour would meet with the full force of the law.

CONSTITUTIONAL RIGHT

Steenhuisen explained that although the right to undertake peaceful protest action is a legitimate constitutional right, it is not unlimited and can never constitute justification for criminal behaviour, or behaviour that violates or threatens the rights of others.

“Just as people have the right to protest, they also have the right to not protest, the right to not associate with the protesting organisation, and the right to go to school or to work or to operate a business, and also to go about their daily lives unhindered and unobstructed. The DA will, therefore, do whatever we can to protect others within the confines of the law in order to disassociate from the EFF and their cause, and their rights to go to work and operate businesses,” he said.

The DA announced that it has written to the Minister of Defence and Military Veterans Thandi Modise to ensure that adequate soldiers are placed on standby, for deployment and that the necessary resources are available to ensure that there is no outbreak of violence and looting.

Steenhuisen said if people want change, the most powerful protest mechanism available to them is their vote, adding that here is no better place to bring about social change than at the ballot box.