Most South Africans went to work and it was business as usual across the country, despite the planned national shutdown by the Economic Freedom Fighters, Police Minister Bheki Cele said on Monday.
Cele told journalists at a media briefing in Pimville, Soweto, where several people were injured in an isolated public violence incident, after a bomb explosion damaged a house, that there was “nothing indicating a shutdown”.
“There have been a few incidents but I saw nothing indicating a shutdown because a shutdown is when life stops; that is how it is organised. The situation has been normal. I checked eThekwini, life is normal, and I checked Cape Town, life is normal,” Cele said.
Cele had earlier been travelling in a helicopter to monitor areas across Gauteng. He said police had responded to the few incidents where people had attempted to break the law, and would investigate the house bombing.
“Clearly, there is thuggery and criminality. The damage seems to be significant and it does look like the explosion was powerful. We hope the police will be able to find the perpetrators. We are taking the matter seriously, that is why our forensic people and Hawks are here,” Cele said. Police seized several sharp nails left over from the commercial explosives, indicating that the explosives were of the type used in mines and during ATM bombings.
He added that the National Joint Operational and Intelligence Structure (Natjoints) had arrested 87 protestors for public violence-related offences across the country. Forty-one people were arrested in Gauteng, 29 in North West and 15 in the Free State. Police also confiscated at least 24 300 tyres that had been strategically placed to perpetrate crimes during the shutdown. –SAnews.gov.za
