City of Cape Town Mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis and Western Cape Premier Alan Winde have voiced their concerns over the Economic Freedom Fighters’ (EFF's) planned national shutdown set to take place on March 20.

The EFF announced that it would protest continuing loadshedding and call for President Cyril Ramaphosa to resign.

The party also urged businesses to shut down on the day of the protest to avoid being looted. 

The City of Cape Town has approached the courts seeking an interdict to ensure that the organisers and participants of the planned protests adhere to the law.

Recently, the Western Cape departments of Health and Social Development were granted an interdict against National Education, Health and Allied Workers Union workers who were posing a threat to essential workers and services in the province. 

The City of Cape Town and the Western Cape government have said while it was important to consider the EFF’s constitutional right to protest, it was equally important that the constitutional rights of normal civilians be respected.

Hill-Lewis is of the view that the planned shutdown is undemocratic and a disruption to public life.

Winde said this particular protest was misguided.

“We, as the Western Cape government, are taking this matter very seriously and will not allow this culture of fear being created by the EFF to take hold,” he stated.

He added that videos circulating on social media of EFF members and party leader Julius Malema calling for businesses to close and for citizens to join in the protest were tantamount to threats of unrest and incitement of violence.

“The province’s economy has been showing promising signs of recovery despite the devastation created by the energy crisis. What we need to do, irrespective of political affiliation is to maintain our focus on growing our economy and creating more jobs, not denying people the right to freedom of movement, work and access to basic services. We grow our economic freedom by opening up our society not shutting it down,” Winde argued.

The Premier intends to meet with the Western Cape Police Oversight and Community Safety Minister Reagen Allen and the Provincial Commissioner of the South African Police Service (Saps), this week, to discuss the Saps’s plan of action.

The Premier has implored the national government to intervene in preventing the shutdown from taking place. Hill-Lewis has reassured Capetonians that they would be able to go about their daily business on the day of the protest and that civil claims would be made against the EFF should any damage to public infrastructure occur.