Benoni law enforcers ready for planned shutdown
Local law enforcement officers will be on high alert to prevent and combat any forms of criminality.
Benoni’s law enforcement agencies are ready to ensure the safety and security of the community, amid calls from the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) to bring the country’s economy to a standstill on March 20.
Minister of Police General Bheki Cele and National Commissioner of the SAPS General Fannie Masemola are set to conduct a state of readiness throughout the province ahead of the planned protest.
According to Warrant Officer Grant Giblin, spokesperson for the Benoni Flying Squad (BFS), all rapid response services (RRS) have doubled their duties to ensure that units can respond as and when needed.
Benoni CPF chairperson, Dr Reza Patel, said its management team, along with local security companies, have met with the Benoni police to put mobilisation plans in action, under directives received from the national level.
“We will mobilise more than 1 000 CPF members gathering intelligence and monitoring the situation on the ground,” said Patel.
“All stakeholders will use a centralised communication and logistical platform to ensure protests remain peaceful.”
He further cautioned the community to refrain from sharing information that does not come from a credible source, creating unnecessary panic.
“Should the community have information which may assist authorities to maintain calm or see items, such as tyres, which are used to barricade roads, to report it to local security companies or the CPF emergency number,” he said.
“Due to the high volume of governmental resources deployed, we are appealing to local churches, NPOs and NGOs to assist in supplying officers with refreshments or food while they perform their duties.”
For more information or to share information, contact Patel at 061 011 1911.
Meanwhile, the Benoni Taxi Association assures commuters that taxis will be operating as normal on March 20.
Edna Dlamini, PRO for the Benoni Taxi Association, said they would not take part in the planned national shutdown.
“We will deploy our squad members in various areas to monitor the situation throughout the day,” said Dlamini.
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