By: Natasha Archary
“Close down everything! Nothing will be operating on that day, we are avoiding the looting. So, we are saying to you, come and join the march, my brother, come and join the march, my sister.
We are saying to you close down all your businesses to avoid the looting. Close down all your shops to avoid the looting. Close down all your factories to avoid the looting.”
These were the words Economic Freedom Fighter (EFF) members were shouting over loudspeakers as they rallied people to join the National Shutdown which is happening on 20 March.
More than 70 000 SA Federation of Trade Unions are reported to be joining the EFF’s National Shutdown.
Apart from driving through cities on the back of bakkies with a loudspeaker, the EFF have also been going door-to-door to mobilise fed up South Africans to down tools on 20 March.
Protesting against the endless loadshedding, and calling for President Cyril Ramaphosa to resign, EFF Commande-In-Chief, Julius Malema has made it clear, nothing is going to stop the Shutdown from happening.
“20 March 2023 is our Freedom Day. Our freedom that was stolen by the criminals of the ANC shall be returned. We are going to return the light by removing the man who switches off your lights.”
Malema called on all progressive unions and professionals to join in the National Shutdown to call for an end to loadshedding which is having a devastating effect on the country’s economy and households.
According to Malema, no schools, businesses or universities will be open and operating on 20 March. The EFF leader said that every municipality and major cities will be shut down on the day.
