Joburg CBD a ghost town amid EFF national shutdown

Businesses in the Johannesburg CBD seem to have given in to the Economic Freedom Fighter (EFF) calls to shut shops to avoid being looted during their national shutdown on Monday.

Johannesburg CBD appeared to be a ghost compared to its normal vibrant self as fewer taxis and people could be seen on the streets.

Hillbrow and Yeoville residents could be seen standing on their balconies and others on the streets waving at the red beret’s when they marched around the CBD’s nearly empty streets.

A Hillbrow shop was forced by the EFF marchers to close down following their call that businesses should close down during the march.

Joburg Region Deputy Chair for the EFF Victor Senyatso said they wanted to mobilise very corner of the inner city so that they could shut down everything in the inner city.

Senyatso said they asked all the shops to close down because they wanted to avoid the issue of looting.

“If anyone loots, they must be arrested. We know there are other comrades who have been planted among us to come and loot so that the EFF can have a bad name. We are fully aware of that. We will make sure our comrades are marching peacefully,” he said.

He said their comrades were well disciplined and would not engage in any anarchy.

“We explained to them that we must never ever try and degenerate this march. This is a peaceful protest, we are not here to fight anyone,” Senyatso said.

Senyatso added that the main goal of the national shutdown was for President Cyril Ramaphosa to step down and changes would be imminent.

“You will see a lot of changes once he steps down. We can see there are a number of things that are not good in the entire country. Unemployment is high, the youth are sitting at home and you can see a number of them are here in the march.”

The march is expected to end around midnight tonight.