#SAunites LIVE: AS IT HAPPENED: South Africans thanked for peaceful marches
2017-04-07 05:43
Ministers holding a press briefing on nationwide protests said South Africans exercised their rights to march peacefully and thanked them for doing so. Police were also commended for protecting citizens.
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Friday’s
activities were a demonstration of a strengthened democracy where citizens are
engaged in shaping the public discourse, the department of communication said in a statement on Friday.
Behind the scenes, the government machinery prepared itself to ensure that services to the public remain uninterrupted and that the daily work of government to move South Africa in an upward trajectory continues.
Friday’s activities were a demonstration of a strengthened democracy where citizens are engaged in shaping the public discourse.
Today’s actions demonstrated a maturing democracy which guarantees freedom of association, speech, and movement.
The only place President Jacob Zuma is going is a long list of
official engagements, after the African National Congress said there
were no plans for him to step down after Friday's nationwide protests.
"There
has been no such discussion," ANC spokesperson Khusela Sangoni said,
when asked if the protests had led to any discussions in the party about
Zuma.
Dlodlo says only concentrating on two people who were fired
at a cabinet reshuffle.
“We don’t bring corruption,” said Dlodlo.
It is unfair to assume all new members are corrupt.
Mapisa-Nqakula says it is not the first time where ordinary citizens generate intelligence reports. Give ministers space to investigate this.
Mapisa-Nqakula says all citizens have the right to privacy
and protection by the SAPS, referring to protests at Saxonworld.
“They are exercising their right to protect citizens of SA,”
the ministers says, speaking about police firing tear gas.
Mapisa-Nqakula says it is not the first time where ordinary citizens generate intelligence reports. Give ministers space to investigate this.
Mapisa-Nqakula says it is not the first time where ordinary
citizens generate intelligence reports. Give ministers space to investigate
this.
Zuma did not break the law by reshuffling Cabinet says Mahlobo.
Mahlobo says the message today is to congratulate people who
have exercised their rights to peacefully protest.
Due to the confusion last night on illegal and legal marches, all were allowed to continue and Mapisa-Nqakula can't confirm if MKMVA had obtained authorisation for gathering.
15 000 people gathered in Pretoria, 1 500 in Port Elizabeth, 10 000 in Cape Town and 500 in Mbombela.
2 injuries have been reported in Johannesburg and one arrest in Port Elizabeth.
Minister of State security David Mahlobo: “Let’s not conflate
issues”. The President did not commit any crime he says.
Minister Dlodlo said there were clashes but minimal.
Minister Dlodlo says today’s activities show a strengthening democracy which shapes public discourse.
Police fired stun grenades to break up a hostile shouting
match between pro- and anti-Zuma demonstrators outside the Saxonworld home of
the Gupta brothers who own Oakbay Investments and have been accused of
manipulating Cabinet appointments.
According to Netwerk24 photographer Felix Dlangamandla about
20 pro-Zuma Black First Land First (BLF) and about 500 anti-Zuma supporters
almost came to blows outside the Johannesburg estate.
BLF supporters were shouting ''one settler, one bullet'',
and accused the anti-Zuma protesters of benefiting in the past through land
that was taken away from them.
As the altercation became more heated, police asked them to
leave the leafy suburb, and then set off stun grenades to clear the area.
The house was guarded by private security, and police had
come out from Norwood and Rosebank to assist the Public Order police.
The Gupta brothers Ajay and Atul have allegedly been having
a behind the scenes say in who President Jacob Zuma appoints as Cabinet
ministers, according to claims that have not been tested in court.
What started as a tiny band of protesters outside the Gupta family's
estate in Johannesburg on Friday morning has grown into large, lively
crowd of picketers.
As struggle songs resonated outside the
infamous family's upmarket estate in the leafy suburb of Saxonwold,
posters demanding the resignation of President Jacob Zuma were the order
of the day.
Police at the scene cordoned off the road, a police
helicopter circled above the estate, and at least 20 police officers and
private security guards kept a close watch on the more than 100 people
gathered in front of the compound's main entrance.
