Police ‘investigating’ Disaster Management Act defiance in Nkandla

Mixed reports coming from the homestead of former president Jacob Zuma on Sunday have painted a chaotic scene just hours before a much-anticipated address.

This as scores of supporters continue to flock in the area to hear from Zuma, who is expected to address his supporters on Sunday evening.

SABC News reports indicate that only two members of the South African Police Services (Saps) are monitoring the developments outside the home of former president Jacob Zuma.

However, Umkhonto we Sizwe Military Veterans Association spokesperson Carl Niehaus tweeted on Sunday that police tried to block him and his convoy from Eshowe to Nkandla, but that after telling them they had “no right to stop us”, the convoy was allowed through.

Police step up KZN operations

Police Minister Bheki Cele’s spokesperson Lirandzu Themba said that the police were still investigating the case of non-compliance with the Disaster Management Act, and defiance of the Covid-19 regulations.

National Joint Operational and Intelligence Structure (NatJOINTS), spokesperson Brigadier Vishnu Naidoo said that the police were dealing with the situation adequately but did not want to explain exactly how.

“We are dealing with the situation, we are hard at work dealing with this and unfortunately we are not dealing with it the way the media wants us to deal with it,” Naidoo told The Citizen on Sunday.

In a statement released later on Sunday, Naidoo said operational capacity in KZN was enhanced to respond to throngs of Zuma supporters “undermining the authority of the State”, and of Disaster Management Act regulations. 

Naidoo said any situations where responses by security forces may result in injury or loss of life, a criminal case would be opened “against those that have created such situations”, and that “criminal action” would follow. 

He urged citizens to continue adhering to adjusted alert level 4 lockdown restrictions, or risk being fined, jailed or both. 

Zuma’s arrest still imminent

Zuma was sentenced to 15 months in prison by the Constitutional Court on Tuesday.

He was ordered to hand himself over to the police within five days to begin his sentence, failure of which will force Cele and the National Police Commissioner Lieutenant General Khehla Sithole to force the arrest.

Zuma’s supporters have since vowed to form a human shield outside his home to stop his arrest.

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Zuma’s supporters have vowed to die for him if push comes to shove.

His son Edward Zuma likened the situation to a war zone.

“Right now I am in war, I am not thinking about the march, if it kills me then so be it,” he said.

This is a developing story. Updates to follow as more information is made available.