‘No formula’ for national shutdown, says Malema

The shutdown will be used to call for an end to load shedding and for the resignation of President Cyril Ramaphosa.

"They thought we were bluffing when we announced this,” Malema told the media on Wednesday.

“Every time we speak there is something, some narrative driven to want to undermine what we are saying. We announced this on the 19th of January and they said how can a person announce so early, why not tomorrow, they thought the 20th of March will never come.”

Malema said the shutdown “has no formula” as the EFF does not have a permit to protest.  

"People with a chicken view only see here, we have a giraffe view and we can see the future that’s why we were never shaken when they said why two months. We knew this day will come. Now all of them are running like headless chickens as if they never knew that this day would come, this day has come.

"It’s a protest, we have no permit if you are going to ask for permit we do not have it, we are going to protest. We are not going to march and to protest we don't require a permit from anyone.

“It is our constitutional right."

He warned that the EFF won’t allow applications to interdict the shutdown, such as the one filed by the DA, to derail their plans.

"Enough is enough that is why we took this decision to put our bodies on the streets. if they want to do anything let them do it on the 20th of March, we are not scared of them. We will defend the defenseless masses of our people with our bodies and our bodies will be on the streets, all of us.

"We want to reassure South Africans that this is a national shutdown calling on the resignation of the president and demand the end to load shedding and bring to light the issues that affect young people,” added Malema.

At the same time, African National Congress (ANC) secretary-general Fikile Mbalula has condemned the EFF for their plans to disrupt economic activities. 

With the country still reeling from the negative economic impact of the 2021 July unrest, where more than 300 lives were lost during violent protests in Gauteng, KwaZulu-Natal, and other parts of the country,  Mbalulala accused the EFF of flirting with the idea of mutiny. 

"You are organising anarchy and lawlessness in a democratic dispensation because you want to woo political support and plant the seed for an insurrection, political strike in the country.”

He says while they support the right of citizens to demonstrate against the ANC-led government, they frown upon the EFF's march which he says will affect the poorest of the poor.

"We say no South African must be infringed from going to work and children going to school on Monday. It must be business as usual, and those who march must march. But to shut down the economy is anarchy of the highest order. Businesses are being written letters to shut down, by a political party."

Mbalula says the EFF leadership should be held liable for any loss of lives and livelihoods that may occur as a result of the nationwide march.

"The leaders of this political party must take responsibility for anything that will happen on Monday and we will take them on for that. If lives will be lost on Monday, if shops are closed, the leadership of the political party EFF must take responsibility.

This week, the Democratic Alliance has threatened to lay a criminal complaint should the march turn violent. The party has approached the courts to try obtain an interdict that will compel the red berets to abide by the law in the days leading up to 20 March. 

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