SA security agencies ready to handle crime during anti-migrants’ protests

SOUTH AFRICA’S National Joint Operational and Intelligence Structure (NATJOINTS) has called on all individuals and organisations planning anti-migrants’ marches to conduct themselves responsibly and within the confines of the law.
Already the Zimbabwean Embassy in South Africa and other envoys have issued an urgent safety advisory to their nationals living in that country emphasising on heightened vigilance amid rising reports of xenophobic tensions and sporadic violence in several communities.
This follows recent threats and ongoing anti-migrants’ protests across South Africa some of whom have turned violent.
Xenophobia motivated attacks on migrants have become a perennial phenomenon in South Africa which is home to millions of migrants from across the globe who are there officially and on an irregular basis.
Hundreds of nationals have often fallen victim to such attacks with some being displaced while some have met their deaths at the hands of the local mobs or vigilante groups.
In a media statement on Tuesday, NATJOINTS spokesperson Brigadier Athlenda Mathe said the NATJOINTS acknowledges that the Constitution guarantees the right to peaceful protest stressing that this right must be exercised without violence, intimidation, or any form of unlawful conduct.
She urged protesters to refrain from inciting violence or intimidating others, avoid carrying dangerous weapons, respect the rights and dignity of all people regardless of nationality, and comply with instructions from law enforcement officers deployed to maintain public order.
“Law enforcement members on the ground have been instructed to strictly enforce the law and to act decisively against any individuals found carrying dangerous weapons or engaging in incitement to violence,” said Brig Mathe.
NATJOINTS warned that it would not tolerate any actions that threaten public safety or undermine the rule of law, adding that acts of vigilantism and lawlessness would not be condoned.
Brig Mathe said the South African Police Service Public Order Police have been deployed to monitor demonstrations and ensure law and order is maintained.
“The NATJOINTS reiterates that acts of vigilantism and lawlessness will not be tolerated and the NATJOINTS including all PROVJOINTS structures remains hard at work in preventing and combating crime across the country. Through intensified police operations such as Operation Shanela, we continue to clamp down on criminal activities, resulting in the arrest of thousands of suspects per week, including those involved in serious and violent crimes,” added Brig Mathe.