Durban - The ANC in KwaZulu-Natal has called for vigilance from members of the public, warning about people who use the suffering of others for their own ends.
ANC KZN spokesperson Nhlakanipho Ntombela said the ruling party had observed how some individuals had tried to organise a national shutdown in protest over rising food and petrol prices last Friday.
“Threats of a national shutdown last Friday could have had devastating consequences and reversed the gains we are making as we rebuild our province,” said Ntombela on Sunday.
Ntombela reiterated the ruling party’s commitment to improving people’s lives that were severely affected by Covid-19, resulting in job losses and economic hardship for many.
The ANC applauded everyone who had remained firm against the calls for a shutdown.
“In this regard, we pay tribute to the ordinary members of society, organised labour, big business and leaders of society who are making every effort to save every job and property in any part of this province,” Ntombela continued.
While noting that every citizen has a right to air grievances, the ruling party stressed the importance of working together to prevent unnecessary disruption and called on the citizens to safeguard the security of KZN and protect lives.
Last week, a call had been made for the public to participate in a national shutdown to show their unhappiness with the high fuel price hikes in recent months. However, there had been fears that would result in looting and mayhem as seen last July in KZN.
IOL reported on Friday that traffic flow across the province had been normal on Friday. However, it was also reported that criminal opportunists tried to loot some stores in the Durban CBD but the metro police and the SAPS thwarted their efforts in the early hours of Friday morning.
It was also reported that taxi drivers in the Hammarsdale area, west of Durban, had to fire shots into the air to disperse a crowd of people trying to gain entry into a shopping mall on Friday.