Urgent action needed to protect Joburg residents and businesses

11 July 2021

I would like to urge all residents in Johannesburg who live in Malvern, Jeppestown, Alexandra, and Berea to take care due to the protests linked to the #FreeZumaNow and #GautengShutdown in these areas. DA councillors will be doing everything possible to co-ordinate with JMPD and other security groups to provide security updates and information to residents of these areas, and we encourage everyone to report any protest action to Saps and JMPD, especially if these protests start to spill into surrounding areas.

We strongly condemn the violence from opportunistic thugs who are looting and destroying businesses, and sympathise with business owners who are already struggling to make ends meet in the current economic crisis. I will be co-ordinating with the JMPD and councillors in these areas so that we can help protect business owners from any further hardship.

The intel we have is that more violence and looting of businesses and blocking of the roads will take place today and during the coming week. Thousands of Joburg residents will be impacted by this violence, and it will only become harder for struggling residents to get to work and make a living.

We need Public Order Policing units deployed to all hotspots to arrest these perpetrators, and remove burning objects and clear the roads with the assistance of the fire brigade and the Johannesburg Roads Agency. Private sector security services must urgently be brought on board to assist with monitoring and patrolling any potential hotspots.

The rule of law must be restored if we are to protect residents and businesses, and the DA will be doing everything in our power to achieve this.

Issued by Michael Sun, DA SMMC for Public Safety, 11 July 2021