A policeman stands next to a cop car. There were no gatherings whatsoever in the Durban area on Monday and no protest march, according to the metro police. Picture: Henk Kruger/African News Agency (ANA)
DURBAN - There have been little to no signs of planned mass protests in KwaZulu-Natal province on Monday, according to the Durban metropolitan police.
This comes after a rumoured shutdown of the province last week, falsely promoted under the banner of the African National Congress (ANC).
Metro police spokesperson Senior Superintendent Parbhoo Sewpersad told African News Agency (ANA) on Monday that officers responded to two incidents that were swiftly dealt with.
“There’s no gatherings whatsoever in the Durban area. There’s no march that’s happening. However, early this morning we responded to Alpine Road (Overport area), where the road was blocked. It was next to an informal settlement. Our quick response team managed to clear that up,” Sewpersad said.
“Also on Umgeni Road, there was a call-out next to an informal settlement. Those were the two incidents that we responded to,” he added.
Sewpersad said that his unit formed a tactical response plan with the South African Police Service (SAPS) and the South African National Defence Force (SANDF) ahead of the rumoured protest.
The SANDF in KZN was seen flexing its muscles on Monday at a toll plaza, arriving in a convoy of military vehicles that were part of the stabilisation team sent to assist the SAPS.
Show of Force by Sector Inland Central Zone by 1 SA Infantry Battalion under Captain Baxter in support of Inland Coastal, as part of stabilisation Operation in support of the SA Police Service in KwaZulu-Natal.#SANDF#JointOperationsDivision#JointOpsKwaZuluNatal pic.twitter.com/KAsUweniyO
— SA National Defence Force (@SANDF_ZA) August 23, 2021
Operations across the KZN public transport sector seemed normal on Monday, according to a report by IOL, as taxis, buses and trains were operating as usual since the early hours of the morning.
Last week, the ANC in KZN distanced itself from the protest, saying that its party logo was falsely used without their permission to promote the planned shutdown.
ANC provincial spokesperson Nhlakanipho Ntombela said they were saddened by the misuse of their logo in the planned unrest and condemned the behaviour.
“People should refrain from using the former president Jacob Zuma as a scapegoat for violence, and we urge law-enforcement agencies to act firmly and expeditiously, within the law, against any form of lawlessness, public violence, damage to property and disruption of economic activity,” Ntombela was quoted as saying in an IOL report last week.
- African News Agency (ANA)
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