‘TotalShutDown’ demonstrators march to JSE
ORGANISERS of the “TotalShutDown” protests against crime in predominantly coloured communities vowed yesterday to press on with demonstrations until President Cyril Ramaphosa attended to their demands.
Areas including Westbury, Ennerdale and Lenasia have seen a wave of protests in the wake of the death of Heather Petersen, who was caught in the crossfire during a gun battle between drug gang members in Westbury.
“We received a fresh mandate to continue with strategic occupation and planning of our people’s freedom,” the organisers who call themselves the Gauteng Shutdown Co-ordinating Committee said in a statement.
“We did a post mortem of the first shutdown and can pleasantly report that there is unanimous agreement that it was a profoundly successful project, because we were always seen as divided and unintelligent.
“The historic position taken on Friday, against the endless suppression of a supposedly passive people, have many tongues exercising. We have observed with excitement as to how many of our people are breaking their silence, we surprisingly read and hear so called coloured analysts come out in support of our actions.”
The group said residents planned to march to the Johannesburg Stock Exchange today to demand economic inclusion.
“We will be in different places for the rest of the year until we get a respectable response from President Cyril Ramaphosa and his Cabinet. We deserve to be included in all socio-economic activities. If the state continues to keep us outside of economic activities, we will crush them too.”
On Friday, residents will commemorate “Blood Friday” to honour Petersen through another shutdown protest. The 45-year-old mother was laid to rest on Saturday.
“We call on all our people to come out and support Blood Friday by wearing a brown T-shirt and a black armband in memory of Heather Petersen and all those who lost their lives.
“The mercilessly killings must stop now.”
No protests were planned for yesterday. | African News Agency (ANA)