AfriForum urges SAPS to intervene with violent protests

7 August 2023

In response to the escalating taxi strike crisis, the civil rights organisation AfriForum has instructed its legal team to send a letter of demand to Lieutenant-General Fannie Masemola, the National Commissioner of the South African Police Services (SAPS), urging immediate intervention to restore law and order.

Jacques Broodryk, spokesperson of Community Safety at AfriForum, emphasized the urgency of the situation. “It’s the South African Police Services’ constitutional responsibility to uphold law and order and to ensure the safety of citizens,” says Broodryk. “The current state of affairs is unacceptable and demands immediate attention and action.”

The taxi strike in Cape Town, which has been ongoing for several days, has resulted in the tragic loss of two lives, with three more individuals injured and several roads blocked, causing widespread disruption and fear among the citizens of Cape Town. The strike has continued unabated, despite attempts at negotiation and resolution.

Furthermore, in Pretoria the community has been confronted with service delivery challenges due to the involvement of certain municipal workers in an unprotected strike. Despite the municipality’s initiation of legal procedures to address the participation of employees in this industrial action, the maintenance of law and order ultimately remains under the jurisdiction of the police.

AfriForum’s letter of demand to the SAPS is a call to action, urging the police to step up their efforts to protect the public and restore order. The organisation believes that the SAPS has a duty to intervene and take decisive action to prevent further loss of life and property.

“We cannot stand by while our citizens live in fear and uncertainty. The SAPS must fulfil their constitutional duty and take immediate steps to ensure the safety of the people of Cape Town,” says Morné Mostert, manager for Local Government Affairs at AfriForum.

AfriForum is committed to holding the SAPS accountable and will continue to advocate for the rights and safety of all South Africans. The organisation urges the SAPS to act swiftly and decisively to restore peace and order in Cape Town and Pretoria.

AfriForum also offered the assistance of its neighbourhood watches to the SAPS with regards to these two incidents.

Issued by Jacques Broodryk, Spokesperson: Community Safety, AfriForum, 7 August 2023