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Police in the Eastern Cape have declared themselves fully prepared for the nationwide June 30 anti-illegal-immigration demonstrations, warning that any attempts to turn peaceful protests into violence, looting or xenophobic attacks will be met with swift and decisive action.
Speaking during a media briefing at Fleet Street Police Station in KuGompo City on Tuesday morning, provincial commissioner Lt-Gen Vuyisile Ncata said the province’s security cluster had activated extensive operational plans amid heightened tension surrounding demonstrations organised by anti-illegal-immigration groups that have called on undocumented foreign nationals to leave the country.
Ncata said the response forms part of a broader national security operation involving law enforcement agencies, intelligence structures and other state partners.
“Let me be unequivocal: the South African Police Service in the Eastern Cape is fully prepared, adequately resourced, and ready to police any planned demonstrations across the province,” Ncata said.
He said that in anticipation of possible unrest, all eight policing districts in the province have been placed on high alert.
Additional officers have been deployed, while joint operational centres will be activated across the province to monitor developments and co-ordinate responses in real time, he said.
Ncata said the South African National Defence Force (SANDF) will also support police operations in identified areas should additional operational capacity be required.
Potential hotspots, including Nelson Mandela Bay, Buffalo City, Komani, Ngcobo, Sterkspruit, Matatiele, Mthatha and Gcuwa, have been identified
In Buffalo City, security deployments will focus on areas such as the California precinct, Mdantsane and the CBD.
Ncata said intelligence assessments remain fluid.
“This is a moving target. We are constantly receiving updates and reports from crime intelligence and sources within the community about where the hotspots could be. We are adapting our deployments accordingly,” he said.
The warning comes as march organisers forge ahead with their plans.
Plans of a march scheduled to start in Southernwood circulated on Tuesday morning.
March and March Qonce co-ordinator Siseko Xatula said they will hold a peaceful protest from Qonce’s town centre to the magistrate office and the police station to submit a memorandum.
Ncata, meanwhile, said they will intensify efforts to prevent a repeat of previous incidents where protests descended into criminality.
“There will be no tolerance for violence. No roads will be closed. There will be no negotiation with people who escalate peaceful protests into violent riots.
“No individual, organisation or community structure has the authority to enforce immigration laws or take the law into their own hands,” said Ncata.
He further revealed that the province’s operational readiness has already been tested through a series of large-scale deployments conducted at the weekend.
He said between June 28 and 29, police arrested 143 undocumented foreign nationals and 57 suspects for various criminal offences. Twelve people were arrested on drug-related charges, six firearms were confiscated and more than 245 kilograms of drugs were seized.
Road blocks and stop-and-search operations resulted in more than 6,500 searches being conducted across the province, while 1,535 vehicles were stopped and inspected. Police also confiscated 1,447l of alcohol valued at approximately R300,000 and recovered two stolen vehicles.
He said Buffalo City emerged as one of the focal points of the province’s security operation. On Sunday alone, officers searched 1,131 vehicles and 956 individuals, inspected shopping centres, taverns, taxi ranks and businesses, and made 44 arrests on various charges. Police also issued 58 traffic fines worth R64,850.
No mass gatherings have been spotted across KuGompo City’s CBD at the time of writing on Tuesday morning despite a large contingent of police officers being dispatched.
The city, according to Ncata, was among several areas across the Eastern Cape identified as hotspots.
Police officials patrolled through the CBD, Southwood and Quigney to monitor developments ahead of the anti-migrant march planned for Tuesday morning.
Despite this, no mass gatherings have been spotted across the city as anticipated.
Daily Dispatch
Mandilakhe Kwababana
www.dailydispatch.co.za