LISTEN: Western Cape ‘pursuing legal options’ as EFF prepares for shutdown

Cape Town – The EFF has stuck to its guns, saying its members and supports were ready for its planned national shutdown on March 20 in protest of the country’s persistent load-shedding crisis.

Spokesperson for the EFF in the Western Cape, Wadile Kabisi, said the party was not intimidated by the Western Cape government’s threat of legal action.

In a statement on Monday, Western Cape Premier Alan Winde said he planned to meet with lawyers, and safety and security authorities.

This, after the Western Cape departments of health and social development were granted an interdict in the Western Cape High Court against the National Education, Health and Allied Workers’ Union (Nehawu) for threatening essential services.

“We are pursuing all legal options to ensure that here in this province, the EFF is obliged to respect the rule of law and refrain from destructive action.

“I intend meeting with Western Cape police oversight and community safety minister Reagen Allen and provincial commissioner of the SAPS this week to discuss the SAPS’s plan of action to protect the lives and livelihoods of our citizens,” Winde said.

“The province’s economy has been showing promising signs of recovery despite the devastation created by the energy crisis.

“What we need to do, irrespective of political affiliation is to maintain our focus on growing our economy and creating more jobs, not denying people the right to freedom of movement, work, and access to basic services. We grow our economic freedom by opening up our society not shutting it down,” Winde said.

Kabisi said the shutdown was against load shedding, which affected everyone, including businesses.

Cape Times