Protest leaders accuse the South African government of neglecting the immigration crisis while threatening citizens ahead of planned demonstrations.
Tensions are escalating ahead of the planned anti-illegal immigration demonstrations on June 30, with protest organisers accusing the government of gaslighting and threatening citizens instead of tackling South Africa’s broken immigration system.
This comes after Acting Police Minister Firoz Cachalia issued a stern warning on Monday, asserting that while protests are a constitutional right, lawlessness and property destruction will be met with the "full might of the law."
The upcoming marches have triggered a massive security mobilisation across the Justice, Crime Prevention and Security (JCPS) Cluster. However, organisers have slammed the government’s briefing as a tone-deaf deflection from the actual crisis.
Addressing the media on the government’s state of readiness, Cachalia emphasised that the South African Police Service (SAPS) has increased its operational readiness across all nine provinces. He added that the military could be brought in if the situation escalates.
