Rise Mzansi accuses JMPD of political interference after event outside Lesufi’s office blocked

Rise Mzansi has accused the Johannesburg Metro Police Department (JMPD) of political meddling and sabotage.

Rise Mzansi’s told it can’t hold event

In a statement, the party’s Gauteng Premier candidate Vuyiswa Ramokgopa said Rise Mzansi was informed that it could not host an event outside Gauteng Premier Panyaza Lesufi’s office because it was a national key point.

The party wanted to hold an event over a weekend to announce its plans for Gauteng ahead of the elections.

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“On Thursday, during a meeting of the JOC, where members of the Rise Mzansi national campaign team presented plans for an event scheduled to take place next week, City of Johannesburg officials declined our application to have an event outside the Gauteng Premier’s Office located at 1 Central Place, 30 Rahima Moosa Street, Newtown, which is directly across the road from Mary Fitzgerald Square in the heart of Joburg,” Ramokgopa said.

Ramokgopa said JMPD officials declined to give them a written letter stating that no political events were allowed outside the premier’s office because it was a national key point.

“The official from the city cited the repealed National Key Points Act, stating that political events are not allowed at the Office of the Premier due to its alleged status as a ‘national key point’,” Ramokgopa said.

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What is a national key point?

National key points are sites that tend to be related to national security, or are of strategic importance, such as military bases. According to South Africa’s National Key Points Act of 1980, areas or sites that are declared national key points cannot be photographed or publicly identified.

Ramokgopa appealed to Gauteng Premier Panyaza Lesufi to intervene in the matter.

“Rise Mzansi is calling on outgoing Premier Panyaza Lesufi to publicly distance himself from the political shenanigans of the City of Johannesburg, Johannesburg Metro Police Department (JMPD), and the Joint Operations Committee (JOC) – the custodian of events in Johannesburg,” Ramokgopa said.

The Citizen has reached out to the JMPD for comment on the matter. JMPD spokesperson Xolani Fihla said the matter had not been brought to his attention.

“I will have to check with my colleagues to confirm,” he said.

This article will be updated as soon as more information is received.

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