Police ready to step in during EFF’s vaccine march in Pretoria

The South African Police Service has warned the EFF and those planning to participate in Friday’s big march to the South African Health Product Regulatory Authority (SAHPRA) offices to comply with lockdown regulations.

EFF leader Julius Malema made a call to his followers last week Wednesday to disregard President Cyril Ramaphosa’s “nonsense” regulations in favour of rolling out vaccines for all.

“The SAPS is aware of the EFF’s planned March on Friday,” police spokesperson Col Brenda Muridili said.

“Law enforcement agencies have met and contingency plans to police the march are in place.”

Muridili said law enforcement agencies would be deployed to the march to ensure disaster management regulations were complied with.

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The Department of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (Cogta) has been silent on the EFF campaign of non-compliance.

Cogta did not respond to queries sent by The Citizen. Spokesperson Lungi Mtshali did not answer calls or emails asking about Cogta’s response to the campaign and march.

Malema called on his supporters, non-profit organisations, political parties and society at large to march to Sahpra’s offices on Friday demanding the approval of the Chinese Sinovac and Russian Sputnik V vaccines.

He said his party was no longer interested in compliance with lockdowns.

“It looks like the ANC strategy is that lockdown is the solution to coronavirus and we cannot allow that, it cannot be a solution,” Malema said.

“We won’t support that, because the purpose of the lockdown is to allow the state to prepare health facilities, including procuring vaccines so that you can reopen the country, you can vaccinate people and also have more health facilities available.”