March and March picket cut short by police restrictions?
The organisers said that restrictions imposed by police made it impossible for the picket to proceed as planned.
A planned picket by Ladysmith March and March today (July 16) ended without protesters handing over a memorandum after police allegedly prevented them from moving closer to a tavern in Kandahar Avenue.
The group had planned to stage the picket outside a tavern in the area, allegedly operated by an illegal foreign national. The organisers intended to deliver a memorandum to the tavern’s management as part of their ongoing campaign calling for action against illegal immigration.
However, according to March and March, restrictions imposed by police made it impossible for the protest to proceed as planned.
Police cite non-compliance
March and March co-ordinator Pretty Mbuyisa said they were instructed by the Newcastle Public Order Policing (POP) Unit not to approach the tavern or step onto the road.
“The police told us we must never step onto the road and that we had to remain on the side of the road. They also said we only had permission until 2pm,” Mbuyisa said.
Picket not in line with Regulation of Gatherings Act, Section 4?
She added that police allegedly informed the group that they had failed to comply with Section 4 of the Regulation of Gatherings Act, making the picket unlawful. “They told us we did not comply with Section 4 and as a result, our picket was not in line with the law,” she said.
(Section 4 of the South African Regulation of Gatherings Act 205 of 1993 dictates the consultation and negotiation process required after a group gives notice to hold a public demonstration or protest.)
Mbuyisa said this was not the first time the organisation had experienced difficulties with police during its protests.
“Even at Phayekeni, we were denied the opportunity to hand over notice letters to landlords, although we believed it was legal to do so. We eventually managed to submit those notice letters,” she said.
Weekly protests to continue
The weekly demonstrations follow the organisation’s June 30 protests, during which March and March leader Jacinta Ngobese-Zuma urged supporters to maintain pressure on government by picketing every Thursday to address what the group describes as the issue of illegal foreign nationals in South Africa.
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