Cape Town – Mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis says Cape Town will be “open for business as usual”, as he warned the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) party that its planned national shutdown on March 20 will not be allowed in the Mother City.
“…Quite a few business owners and employers have been in touch about the rumours of a so-called national shutdown on 20 March. Let me say, in Cape Town, it will be business as usual.
“We will do what it takes to make sure kids get to school on time, that workers can get to work, that our economy can keep running.
I’ve heard of a so-called “shutdown” planned for 20 March across SA.
Cape Town is focused on growing the economy to get more people into jobs & will not allow violence to disrupt this.
We will be open for business as usual. Those responsible for violence will be arrested. pic.twitter.com/bRvRrrIpYC
— Geordin Hill-Lewis (@geordinhl) March 10, 2023
“To those of you who think it is a good idea to organise a national shutdown – our economy is already brought to its knees by load shedding, corruption and so much else. What you are doing is hurting our economy, hurting businesses, and hurting workers even more, exactly the opposite of what you claim to stand for.
“Don’t be stupid, don’t organise a national shutdown and don’t try that nonsense in Cape Town,” said Hill-Lewis.
Earlier this year, the EFF announced its planned national shutdown to protest the ongoing load shedding and call for President Cyril Ramaphosa to step down.
The party has been cautioning business owners to close their businesses to avoid the risk of looting on the day.
With just a few days left to the national shutdown, party members with loud speakers are reportedly warning business owners in townships to close their businesses on the day, reports News24.
ALSO READ | National shutdown: ‘Close down all your shops to avoid looting,’ EFF warns businesses
“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 lootings.
“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,” the speaker is heard saying, according to the report.
The report said the EFF has been going door to door, handing pamphlets and mobilising on the back of bakkies across the country to gather people for the national shutdown.
On Friday, the party’s Western Cape provincial chair Unathi Ntame delivered a letter to the mayor’s office to inform him about the shutdown.
“We came to deliver the letter officially to the mayor here to inform him that as the EFF, we will be we will be having a national shutdown on the 20th of March and we wanted him to inform his employees and everyone concerned that on that day there is no work, there’s no one that must come to work – the security guards, cleaners and the employees of the City of Cape Town… because that day is the shutdown,” said Ntame.
EFF WC Provincial Chair, CMSR Unathi Ntame together with the Convener of CCT Deployees CMSR Dr @DrThembekwayo delivering the #NationalShutdown letter to the office of the Executive Mayor of Cape Town, @geordinhl The letter was received by the Chief of Staff, James Stynes. pic.twitter.com/tCpqb9CEF0
— EFF_Western Cape (@EFFWesternCape_) March 10, 2023
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Compiled by Betha Madhomu
