This has been in the news for several days prior to D-Day on Monday, March 20, 2023. South Africa's Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) had declared a national shutdown on this day. Factories, offices, shops and schools will be closed across South Africa.
The announcements, made on the streets, in hallways, in shopping malls, and on the airwaves, often by eager-eyed young South Africans wearing the party's blood-red colors, conveyed their quietly implied threat. The tone reminded me of what Simon Ekpa said on Radio Biafra. Closure of streets and markets in Awka and Owerri. “Bold and brave” people in the south-east were left frustrated behind closed doors, losing time and money, knowing that if they did not comply they could be shot dead in the streets by “unidentified gunmen”.
This declaration was a direct challenge and insult to the South African government run by the African National Congress. If this plan, unprecedented in post-apartheid South Africa's troubled history, is indeed successful, it will be a major blow to Cyril Ramaphosa's credibility and authority.
The EFF was founded nearly 20 years ago by a bonfire activist named Julius Malema, who served as the African National Congress's youth leader until he was forced out of office for being too radical. It is the third largest political party in the South African Council of State with 90 members and the National Assembly with 400 members. It is not yet a serious rival of the African National Congress. But what it lacks in numbers it makes up for in flamboyance. Its members, both male and female, often wear bright red costumes with berets. They are not sitting quietly in Congress or anywhere else. They intentionally cause chaos, disrespect all authority, and violate established official procedures of conduct.
Statistics show that most people went to work, some walking past angry but peaceful young black activists in red.
Lately, the EFF has set its sights on someone no less than the president himself. They want him to resign.
There is much to criticize about the situation in Mandela's Rainbow Nation. The economy is in a slump. Unemployment is all too common, especially among Black youth. Eskom, the power giant that seemed able to calmly respond to people's needs during the apartheid era, appears to be in the shadows. Power outages have become commonplace. There are also corruption allegations surrounding members of the ruling party, the ANC, and even the president.
The government sought to assure the public that it was business as usual and there would be no nationwide shutdown. The police and army will be in full force to maintain peace and allow people to go about their normal business.
It has been several days since the “closure” and it is reasonable to assess its impact.
According to Malema and his red-coated troops, who stationed “commanders” in major cities across the country, the “shutdown” was a huge success. In their stories, people left the streets and shopping malls became ghost towns. The infamous ESKOM rolling blackouts that South Africans were accustomed to did not occur because there was no construction work going on that day and electricity demand was significantly reduced.
A report by International Economic News Agency Bloomberg paints a different picture. A Bloomberg headline said, “Radical opposition's aim to shut down South Africa fails.” Despite the hot winds and sporadic street barricades in some places, 76% of businesses remained open. Of these, 70% of his absenteeism rates were less than 10%.
And Cyril Ramaphosa, who had just survived a civil war within the ANC and secured the right to run and possibly win the next election, remained in office.
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There were no “unidentified gunmen” firing at people going to work in Durban and Johannesburg on Monday. Statistics show that most people actually went to work, some walking past angry but peaceful young black activists in red. The regime remained in place, and soldiers and police were ready to thwart any threat to civilians or security. Although almost 100 people were arrested, the atmosphere was generally peaceful.
Was Malema just dipping his toe in the water to test the temperature and tactics? Or was there something even more powerful in store for the EFF? All the world can do is watch.