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EFF vows its march to Phoenix will be peaceful, not against ‘racist Indians’
EFF wants the immediate arrest of people behind the killings in Phoenix and the confiscation of illegal firearms.
Picture for illustration purposes. Picture: Citizens.co.za/Jacques Nelles
The Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) says its march on Thursday morning to Phoenix, north Durban, will be a peaceful demonstration seeking justice for the victims of the unrest that engulfed the area last month.
ALSO READ: EFF march: Motorists urged to avoid Phoenix Highway
The demonstration – organised by the EFF’s eThekwini region – was criticised by some South Africans who raised concerns that it could fuel racial tensions in Phoenix after the killing of 36 people in the predominantly Indian community in the wake of the rampant violence and looting that rocked parts of Gauteng and KwaZulu-Natal.
ALSO READ: Deaths in Phoenix increase to 36, while 22 suspects nabbed, says Cele
The EFF’s provincial leaders on Wednesday met with church and community leaders in the area to iron out issues related to the protest and resolved to rather embark on a solidarity march.
The EFF’s eThekwini region spokesperson, Mazwi Blose, told SAfm on Wednesday morning their march would begin at Gandhi Park in Durban at 10am and proceed to the local police station in Phoenix, where they would hand over their memorandum of demands.
Blose said they would demand the immediate arrest of the people behind the killings and the confiscation of illegal firearms in Phoenix.
“What we are hoping to achieve is to ensure that we remind the police of their constitutional mandate and their constitutional duty. They are there to protect the citizens of the country. We are there to tell the police to go to Phoenix and repossess all these illegal firearms,” he said.
DA writes to SAHRC
On Tuesday, Democratic Alliance (DA) leader John Steenhuisen wrote to the South African Human Rights Commission (SAHRC) requesting its intervention to stop the EFF’s march.
Steenhuisen warned that the march risked descending into a full-blown race war between black and Indian residents in Phoenix.
“The EFF thrives on racial division, and so it is very much in the party’s interest to fan the flames of localised incidents of racial tension where they exist. This is the very last thing the traumatised communities of Phoenix need right now,” Steenhuisen said in a letter addressed to the SAHRC’s chair, advocate Bongani Majola.
This was after the EFF promoted the march on its social media platforms as a protest “against racist Indians”.
Covid-19 regulations
Meanwhile, Blose said the EFF had applied for permission from law enforcement to march to Phoenix, and that they would adhere to Covid-19 safety protocols.
He urged motorists to find alternative routes as the Phoenix Highway towards the Phoenix Plaza would not be operational.
“Our march is regulated in terms of numbers of protestors and Covid-19 regulations. We have spoken to the security cluster, the police, and all law enforcement to ensure the march is free, peaceful and there is no violence,” Blose said.
On Tuesday, Police Minister Bheki Cele revealed that of the 36 people killed in Phoenix, 30 were shot dead.
“Two were burnt to death. One was stabbed and another was run over by a motor vehicle. Two others died from the brutal injuries they sustained after being assaulted,” Cele said, speaking at a media briefing at Inanda police station.
He said 20 people were arrested in connection to the murders in the community.
Police are also investigating 52 cases of attempted murder and nine cases of common assault as well as 16 cases of assault with intent to cause grievous bodily harm.
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