More than 250,000 security personnel, thousands of CCTV cameras, helicopters and drones will be mobilised across Gauteng on Tuesday for the June 30 demonstrations against illegal immigration.This is as law enforcement agencies move to prevent a repeat of the widespread looting and violence that rocked the province during the July 2021 unrest.Police, private security companies and Business Against Crime South Africa on Monday assured residents that extensive preparations had been made ahead of the demonstrations.Gauteng police commissioner Lt-Gen Tommy Mthombeni said planning for Tuesday’s operation had been divided into three phases, beginning with intelligence gathering.“The first phase is intelligence gathering. We collect information through Crime Intelligence and, as and when we receive information, we start working on it and acting on it. We have already arrested eight people for either looting or other acts that are against the law,” he said.Mthombeni said the second phase would involve deploying large numbers of officers and support personnel across the province.“We have about 217,000 private security personnel linked to Business Against Crime South Africa, 13,000 police officers on the ground, more than 10,000 metro police officers and about 8,000 traffic wardens who will all form part of the policing operation,” he said.“We are indeed ready in terms of policing in terms of the demonstrations.”He added that authorities would also monitor more than 33,000 CCTV cameras through a centralised fusion centre connected to systems operated by eGovernment, Vumacam, the South African National Roads Agency, Fidelity and Business Against Crime South Africa.Executive manager of Fidelity Specialised Services Morné du Toit said private security companies had been working with police for more than a month through the Eyes and Ears initiative.“From a readiness perspective, we are very comfortable. Armed response companies such as Fidelity, ADT and many others are all supporting this operation. It is a collective effort. We are as prepared as we possibly can be,” said Du Toit.Du Toit added that intelligence gathered through a central command centre would allow teams to respond quickly, including to residential areas if necessary.Business Against Crime South Africa executive programme manager Fouche Burger said more than 500 private security companies had joined the initiative.“This is not an ordinary situation, which is why we have helicopters, technology, drones, AI systems, monitoring centres and thousands of cameras,” he said.Expected June 30 hotspots: (Karen Moolman) Burger acknowledged that many businesses remain anxious after the devastation caused during the 2021 unrest.“Business owners are concerned, without a doubt. They remember what happened in 2021 and the damage it caused. However, from Business Against Crime South Africa’s perspective, they should remain confident. We are significantly better prepared than we were then,” he said.“I believe the police have solid operational plans in place and we are in a much stronger position to ensure any demonstrations take place without major damage to the city.”Meanwhile, BadBoyz Security confirmed it would work alongside Hillbrow SAPS and the Johannesburg Metro Police Department (JMPD) under SAPS command during Tuesday’s demonstrations.JMPD said it had noted the areas where demonstrations were planned across the city.Spokesperson Xolani Fihla said traffic disruptions and delays are anticipated between 7am and 4pm.“Motorists are strongly advised to avoid the affected streets and use alternative routes where possible.”