The Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) say they will contact taxi drivers and vow to shut down the country’s economy and transport in March to demand reliable electricity and President Cyril Ramaphosa’s resignation.
Party leader Julius Malema said the EFF would not seek permission to march on the day.
“We will not apply for anything. We will not apply for what is given by the constitution. It is our constitutional right to protest and we will protest on March 20.
“Like the Sharpville march, we are not afraid of state power, you bring state power, we will give you mass power,” he told reporters on Sunday after the party’s plenary meeting in Ekurhuleni.
SA will ‘stop’
Malema he said no train, bus or truck will move across the country. There will be no learning in schools and all main roads will be closed except for emergency services.
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No factories, shops or highways will be open, he said.
“No one will scare us. South Africa will stop. If Ramaphosa do not withdraw on the day, we will announce after that, we do not pre-empt anything. Why would you want to be president when dollars are found under your mattress?
“Not a single train will shut down nationally on March 20. We don’t want to see a single train, bus or truck. From Musina to Cape Town, no one will move except emergency services, police and doctors,” said the firebrand leader.
He added that trucks transporting minerals to Richards Bay in KwaZulu-Natal would be stopped later that day. The route has been damaged by months of disruption caused by truck drivers and local communities.
“Trains and trucks, especially those going to Richards Bay take our minerals out of our country – on March 20th, if you know what’s good for you – park your trucks at your depot.”
The beginning’ destroyed the ANC and Ramaphosa
Calling it the “mother of all shutdowns” Malema said South Africans will be free from the President and his party. African National Congress (ANC) after staying away.
According to Malema, “freedom will come” after March 20.
“We will turn on the lights because we will remove the people who turned them off. Our freedom was stolen by Ramaphosa and the ANC and it will return to South Africa on March 20, 2023. This is the beginning of the destruction of the ANC and Ramaphosa.
“Whether Ramaphosa likes it or not, he is a mess for this country. It is not me but the judge who said he has a case to answer for having undeclared dollars in his farm.
“The Zuma riots [July 2021] it will look like mickey mouse. We are inevitable, South Africa has waited too long, and we are expanding every corner of our country.
“All wards, regions and provinces are talking to communities, taxi associations, traditional leaders, shop owners and all South Africans who are coming forward to join the mother of all dead,” Malema said.
At the main march in Gauteng, the party plans to hand over a memorandum of demands at the Union Buildings in Pretoria later that day.