Ramaphosa address: ‘We needed a statement of action’ – Steenhuisen

President Cyril Ramaphosa’s response to the ongoing riots has been fiercely criticised by the opposition, with Democratic Alliance (DA) leader John Steenhuisen saying he failed to properly outline the way forward.

“However, very little in his address offered anything new or significant in terms of measures to curb the violence, looting and destruction of property. There were no details, for example, of the SANDF deployment, such as numbers of troops and where they are to be deployed, as well as no details on any progress from Crime Intelligence,” Steenhuisen said.

Ramaphosa addressed the nation for the second time in 24 hours on Monday evening, 12 July 2021, in the wake of the looting and unrest that has rocked several parts of Gauteng and Johannesburg.

The chaos started out as demonstrations demanding former president Jacob Zuma’s release in KZN, but soon turned to looting sprees which then spread to parts of Gauteng.

DA calls for law enforcement to act

John Steenhuisen said that as the DA, they support all efforts to restore order and that law enforcement now has to regain control.

“The situation was allowed to reach this point precisely because our law enforcement agencies failed to take control early on and do their jobs. Of critical importance right now is that law enforcement regain control of the situation, particularly in KwaZulu-Natal and Gauteng, but also elsewhere in South Africa. They need to do the job that the Constitution demands of them,” he said.

“Because the violence and looting is so widespread, this means targeting our law enforcement resources exactly where they are needed to disrupt large gatherings of rioters. This calls for a coordination of Defence Intelligence, Crime Intelligence and State Security. Our forces on the ground cannot just fly blind and react to sporadic incidents”

John Steenhuisen, DA leader

Steenhuisen has also stressed that health facilities need to be protected from the looting, particularly as the third wave of the COVID-19 pandemic is in full swing.

“Particular focus should also be given to the protection of healthcare facilities and the supply of oxygen to COVID wards in violence-affected areas. As the country battles the third wave of a deadly pandemic, it is critical that we continue to take care of the sick and the vulnerable,” he said.