With anti-immigration protests expected to take place across the country on Tuesday 30 June, Western Cape police say they are on high alert and ready to respond to any threats to public safety.

National acting police minister Prof Firoz Cachalia gave the assurance during a media briefing yesterday following a walkabout of the police’s Provincial Operational Coordination Centre (POCC), where security operations for the demonstrations will be coordinated and monitored.

The visit formed part of efforts to assess operational readiness and ensure law enforcement agencies are prepared for the planned protests.

Calm urged

Cachalia appealed to citizens participating in the planned protests against undocumented foreign nationals to exercise their right to demonstrate peacefully and remain within the “confines of the law”.

“The right to protest should not be used as an excuse for criminality and abusive behaviour. Only the police and other officials have the responsibility to enforce the law.”

He also urged people to refrain from making “inflammatory statements on social media.”

“People are making statements that they are going to expel people from the country themselves and we see that already.”

Cachalia assured the public that extensive measures have been put in place to safeguard the country and maintain public safety and security.

“I have received a full briefing from police of their operational plans. We have interrogated those plans to make sure where there are gaps, they are filled. I am now satisfied that the police are ready for any eventuality.”

According to Cachalia, the planned protests could cost South Africa as much as R600 million, although he did not provide a detailed breakdown of how the funds would be allocated or how the figure was calculated.

Leave suspended

Lt Gen Bongiwe Zulu, acting deputy national commissioner for support services, confirmed that leave for specialised officers has been suspended to ensure maximum operational readiness.

“Those individuals whose leave has been suspended, they know… if they have those critical skills and expertise that we are going to need at this particular time as police we know that when service delivery is needed on our side, we have to come and service the servants of this country.”

Western Cape Minister of Police Oversight and Community Safety, Anroux Marais, has called on residents to refrain from any acts of violence, intimidation or lawlessness.

“The Western Cape Government acknowledges the frustrations regarding issues affecting residents and their communities. We also respect the constitutional right of residents to protest peacefully.

“However, any protest action must be peaceful, lawful and within the confines of the Constitution. The rule of law must be respected at all times,” concluded Marais.

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