Acting police minister praises largely peaceful June 30 marches amid isolated violence

Acting Police Minister Firoz Cachalia has commended law enforcement for keeping order during the nationwide June 30 marches, while authorities dealt with isolated incidents of violence and made targeted deployments to trouble spots.

Officials describe mostly peaceful demonstrations

Speaking at a National Joint Operational and Intelligence Structure (NATJOINTS) status update on Tuesday evening, Cachalia said authorities were committed to enforcing the law and praised police for their conduct during the day’s events.

The minister noted an absence of clashes between police and demonstrators and singled out that where altercations occurred they were between different segments of society rather than between police and protesters.

“Where altercations did occur, such as in Yeoville, they were between different segments of our society rather than police versus demonstrators,”

Isolated incidents and law enforcement actions

Police reported the arrest of three people in connection with the shooting of a 17-year-old during protests in Johannesburg’s city centre. Reports indicate the suspects were allegedly armed and that their vehicle was stoned amid the disturbance.

By Tuesday evening, the army had been deployed to hotspots including Hillbrow and Yeoville.

Government messages on unity and responsibility

At an Interministerial Committee on Migration (IMC) briefing the same Tuesday evening, Minister in the Presidency Khumbudzo Ntshavheni appealed for unity and called on leaders in African countries to take responsibility for political stability.

“There’s no apartheid government destabilising any country now, 32 years on, so we must all take responsibility for ensuring political stability in our countries,”

“We can’t always be blackmailed by African countries that they helped us during apartheid; it has ended; they must ensure there is political stability in their countries,”

Minister of Justice and chairperson of the IMC, Mmamoloko Kubayi, also acknowledged both marchers and law enforcement for their roles in facilitating peaceful demonstrations against irregular migration.

“We commend citizens, community leaders, organisers, civil society formations, religious leaders and law enforcement agencies for their commitment to peace, restraint, and respect for the rule of law throughout the country,”

Ongoing vigilance

Cachalia said the government remained vigilant and prepared to address any fallout from the protests while reinforcing citizens’ rights to protest peacefully. The NATJOINTS briefing outlined the authorities’ response to the day’s events and the steps taken where violence occurred.