UDM leader Bantu Holomisa has expressed shock that there were no security personnel on the ground in large numbers to quell the looting arising from the violent protests.
“It is unlike the police not to be on the ground in this country in their usual big numbers. You do not even see the Nyalas and water cannons to scare the people,” he told Independent Media.
Holomisa noted that the looting that accompanied the protests was not just carried by unemployed people, as claimed by some, but often by better off citizens who were driving luxury vehicles.
He said President Cyril Ramaphosa and his security cluster ministers appeared to have lost control of the security situation in the country.
“In my assessment, I might be wrong, but I think the president lost control of the security cluster, or alternatively there is a palace revolt,” Holomisa said.
Holomisa said it would be interesting to know how many times Ramaphosa received briefings from the security cluster ministers, including before former president Jacob Zuma addressed crowds outside his homestead.
Holomisa said the security assessment would have picked up potential threats that should have been followed up, including the threats made by Zuma’s supporters that there would be blood-letting if he was arrested.
“They underestimated the threats and warnings that were given, and they never had any plan. I am interested to know exactly when the last briefing was,” Holomisa said.
He insisted that the security cluster ministers and Ramaphosa had lost control, and pointed to the inaction of Police Minister Bheki Cele and national commissioner Khehla Sitole days before Ramaphosa’s address.
“For three days they were not there. It is clear these guys have lost control. In a normal situation, if it was not South Africa, we would have to hand it over to the Chief Justice,” he said, in reference to the dissolution of Parliament.
Holomisa also said that another sign that the security cluster ministers had lost control, was when Defence Minister Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula stated at the weekend that there would be no deployment of soldiers, because there was no war.
He blamed the situation on the internal factional battles in the ANC that have now spilled over to the nation.
“As a country, we need to admit, and ask ourselves some questions, such as: ’what must we wait for?’.
“The ANC has lost control to run South Africa. That is the bottom line,” he said.