By Loushe Jordaan Gilbert
What was deemed the “Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) Provincial shutdown” turned out to be underwhelming.
The EFF planned a shutdown to highlight the plight of residents with its core focus on taxi impoundments, gangsterism, a lack of service delivery, unemployment and unlawful evictions, among other issues.
While the City amped up its Law Enforcement officers to ensure the protest remains peaceful, as a permit was granted for one thousand protesters, it seemed a bit “over the top” to deploy more than 200 officers for a protest turn out of less than 150 people.
The EFF’s Wandile Kasibe said a memorandum would be handed over to the Transport and Mobility portfolio in Nadebeni.
“A detailed memorandum will be handed over, with the core request being for the city to release those taxis that were impounded unjustly,” he said.
When asked if the shutdown was politically motivated, Kasibe denied this, however strongly called for Mayco Member for safety and security, JP Smith to be removed from his post.
“We will be calling for the fall of JP Smith, he is behind all of the struggles that the taxi industry is facing. When it impacts them, it impacts on all of society. The black owned taxi industry is being harassed by the DA led city and we had enough,” he stated.
Commenting on the fact that many organisations and political such as the People’s Movement for Change and the Africa National Congress (ANC) distancing itself from the shutdown, Kasibe said it was sad to see that there is no unity when it comes to standing up for issues that affects many.
“You must understand, the fact that they pulled out on the eve of the mass demonstration does not detour us, we are not cowards, we stand with those who are being victimized by the city,” he concluded.
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