Acting Police Minister Firoz Cachalia says the deployment of the South African Police Service (SAPS) members, during expected protests on Tuesday, is not aimed at preventing lawful demonstrations. “The public will judge not only the outcome of Tuesday’s operations, but also the manner in which you conduct yourselves, and exercise your responsibility and your authority. Your responsibility is not to bully; it is to protect. Your professionalism has the power to build confidence in policing and to demonstrate that the rule of law remains the
cornerstone of our democracy,” says Cachalia. Video| Acting Police Minister Firoz Cachalia marshals SAPS ahead of June 30 protests: In the Free State, Deputy Police Minister Cassel Mathale has told police officers in Bloemfontein to deal decisively with undocumented foreign nationals. He says South Africa is not a playground for criminality and police have to protect South Africans who will be marching on Tuesday. He was speaking at the parade held at Bobbies Park to kick off security operations ahead of expected marches. Six thousand
officers have been deployed in the Free State. Mathale says he wants to debunk the belief that police are reinforcing security against South Africans. “Your role is to ensure that everybody who stays in the Republic of South Africa, whether that person is from other parts of the continent or the world, feels safe. It is only those who are here illegally, who are undocumented, who we must deal with decisively. People must know that South Africa is not a playground for criminality,” adds Mathale.
Video| SA is not a playground for criminality: Cassel Mathale Meanwhile, a Bangladeshi businessman who trades in Kliptown, Soweto, says they fear the march against undocumented foreign nationals might target those who are legally in the country. Hundreds of locals marched to the Moroka Police Station in Soweto on Sunday to hand over a memorandum. They are supporting the call for undocumented nationals to leave the country. Riyad Hossain says if the situation gets out of hand, they will leave the country. He also raised
concerns about possible looting. “We are scared about the violence, so like today, we see March and March is meeting but most of the people are looking for the shops to loot, so we don’t feel good at the moment, but we’ll see, it depends on the situation. If everything is good, we will stay, but otherwise we are going to leave. We are scared about looting.”
SAPS deployment June 30, Firoz Cachalia, Cassel Mathale, Free State, Bloemfontein, Bobbies Park, 6000 officers, Bloemfontein protests, undocumented foreign nationals, Moroka Police Station, Soweto, Kliptown, Riyad Hossain, memorandum