Police ‘investigating’ Disaster Management Act defiance in Nkandla
Police said they were 'dealing with the situation' of scores of Zuma supporters flocking to Nkandla, but not 'the way the media wants us to deal with it'.
Umkhonto weSizwe Military Veterans Association spokesperson Carl Niehaus at Jacob Zuma’s Nkandla residence on Saturday, 3 July 2021. Picture: Twitter/@niehaus_carl
Mixed reports coming from the homestead of former president Jacob Zuma on Sunday have painted a chaotic scene just hours before a much-anticipated address.
This as scores of supporters continue to flock in the area to hear from Zuma, who is expected to address his supporters on Sunday evening.
SABC News reports indicate that only two members of the South African Police Services (Saps) are monitoring the developments outside the home of former president Jacob Zuma.
#sabcnews #sabckzn Two officers in uniform monitoring the situation outside former president Jacob Zuma’s home in Nkandla. pic.twitter.com/YJdcBCqdHP
— Nonkululeko Hlophe (@Leko3) July 4, 2021
However, Umkhonto we Sizwe Military Veterans Association spokesperson Carl Niehaus tweeted on Sunday that police tried to block him and his convoy from Eshowe to Nkandla, but that after telling them they had “no right to stop us”, the convoy was allowed through.
Just had an attempted blockage of our convoy on our way from Eshowe to Nkandla by the SAPS trying to block us. We confronted the police and told them that they have no right to stop us. We were allowed through. Almost at Nkandla now! #HandsOffMsholozi!✊????
A LUTA CONTINUA!— Carl Niehaus (@niehaus_carl) July 4, 2021
All Roads Lead To #Nkandla … Amandla ✊????✊????✊????!!! pic.twitter.com/5KSY7gD1yJ
— Dudu Zuma-Sambudla (@DZumaSambudla) July 4, 2021
Police step up KZN operations
Police Minister Bheki Cele’s spokesperson Lirandzu Themba said that the police were still investigating the case of non-compliance with the Disaster Management Act, and defiance of the Covid-19 regulations.
National Joint Operational and Intelligence Structure (NatJOINTS), spokesperson Brigadier Vishnu Naidoo said that the police were dealing with the situation adequately but did not want to explain exactly how.
“We are dealing with the situation, we are hard at work dealing with this and unfortunately we are not dealing with it the way the media wants us to deal with it,” Naidoo told The Citizen on Sunday.
This video is no longer available.
In a statement released later on Sunday, Naidoo said operational capacity in KZN was enhanced to respond to throngs of Zuma supporters “undermining the authority of the State”, and of Disaster Management Act regulations.
Naidoo said any situations where responses by security forces may result in injury or loss of life, a criminal case would be opened “against those that have created such situations”, and that “criminal action” would follow.
He urged citizens to continue adhering to adjusted alert level 4 lockdown restrictions, or risk being fined, jailed or both.
Zuma’s arrest still imminent
Zuma was sentenced to 15 months in prison by the Constitutional Court on Tuesday.
He was ordered to hand himself over to the police within five days to begin his sentence, failure of which will force Cele and the National Police Commissioner Lieutenant General Khehla Sithole to force the arrest.
#sabcnews #sabckzn And several gunshots fired into the air. Clearly some people here in Nkandla are armed. While taking this video others wanted me to stop and threw stones at me. pic.twitter.com/lUhZwUvSjs
— Nonkululeko Hlophe (@Leko3) July 4, 2021
Zuma’s supporters have since vowed to form a human shield outside his home to stop his arrest.
ALSO READ: Zuma’s arrest still imminent despite rescission approval by ConCourt
Zuma’s supporters have vowed to die for him if push comes to shove.
His son Edward Zuma likened the situation to a war zone.
“Right now I am in war, I am not thinking about the march, if it kills me then so be it,” he said.
This is a developing story. Updates to follow as more information is made available.
