By Palesa Matlala
• Every police officer will be expected to report for duty as authorities prepare for possible unrest during nationwide demonstrations against undocumented foreign nationals.
• Police say peaceful protests will be protected, but anyone involved in violence, intimidation or damage to property will be arrested.
Police across South Africa will be working around the clock on Monday after all leave was cancelled ahead of the nationwide protests against undocumented foreign nationals.
The demonstrations are expected to take place in several provinces on 30 June, with police preparing for large crowds and possible unrest.
KwaZulu-Natal police leaders met community crime-fighting groups, government officials and law enforcement agencies in Durban on Saturday to finalise security plans.
Acting KwaZulu-Natal Police Commissioner Lieutenant General Phumelele Makoba said every available officer will be needed.
“As we approach this day, we need all hands on deck,” she said.
“No one must say they are on a rest day or off duty. We all need to work together to fight crime and protect our communities.”
The order means detectives, investigators and some undercover officers who normally do not wear police uniforms will also be deployed if needed.
Police said officers appointed under the Public Service Act are expected to report for duty.
Authorities say they have spent weeks preparing for the demonstrations after intelligence reports identified several areas that could become hotspots.
Earlier this week, Acting Police Minister Firoz Cachalia said police are ready to deal with any threats to public safety.
He said peaceful protest is protected by the Constitution, but warned there would be no tolerance for violence, intimidation, looting or attacks on people.
Police have also worked with metro police departments, private security companies and community policing forums to strengthen security.
The South African National Defence Force has not been deployed, but the government has confirmed that the military remains on standby if needed to protect critical infrastructure.
While police prepare for the demonstrations, another group is calling for calm.
The African Inclusion Coalition continued its protest outside Parliament over the weekend, saying it opposes growing hostility towards foreign nationals.
The organisation handed over a memorandum calling on the government to tackle xenophobia and fix problems at the Department of Home Affairs.
The coalition says many people struggle to legalise their stay because of delays and failures within the immigration system.
African Inclusion Coalition president Dano de Waal said South Africa should remember the support it received from neighbouring countries during the apartheid years.
“During apartheid, when our own brothers and sisters were exiled to neighbouring countries, we were not rejected. But now those who supported the fight against apartheid are being brutalised,” he said.
The organisation is also working with the Department of Basic Education to identify school halls that could be used if displaced migrants need temporary shelter.
It has also approached humanitarian organisation Gift of the Givers to assist if emergency support becomes necessary.
Meanwhile, anti-illegal immigration groups insist Monday’s demonstrations are aimed at demanding that the government enforce immigration laws and speed up the deportation of undocumented foreign nationals.
Police have urged South Africans to remain calm, avoid spreading misinformation on social media and allow law enforcement officers to maintain order.
Authorities say anyone who breaks the law, regardless of which side they support, will face arrest.
Pictured above: Police officers will be deployed across South Africa after leave was cancelled ahead of the nationwide 30 June protests.
Image source: File
