Siphelele Nketo
IN anticipation of a potential shutdown in the small town of Kokstad next Monday, coordinators expressed concerns about receiving anonymous phone calls that threatened them to halt their picket planning efforts. One of the three coordinators who received the call was Ntlakanipho Hlongwane. He claimed that he was woken up at around 3am on Thursday, June 25, by a phone call from an unknown number. He said a male voice on the phone told him to stop what he was doing, otherwise he would be killed.
“The caller instructed me to back-off from planning next week’s march, threatening to kill me. When I asked the identity of the caller, the call was dropped,” he alleged.
He added that other coordinators also received the same threatening call from the same number at different times.
These developments are in the wake of last Friday’s march in the Kokstad town against illegal foreigners. Part of last week’s grievances listed on the memorandum included a request to the Department of Home Affairs to conduct a comprehensive immigration compliance audit in collaboration with SAPS, the municipality, SARS and the Department of Employment and Labour.
Marchers further called for verification of businesses operating in the town of Kokstad and township areas. They also demanded the prioritisation of local people for employment.
In fact, efforts to march for the second time on Thursday, June 25, failed. Hlongwane said they decided to postpone the march after engagements with the leadership of the local municipality. A poster for the Thursday march was already circulating on social media platforms.
“On Monday, we notified the municipality about the Thursday march. But the municipality refused by saying that we could not issue a notice on a Monday and conduct a demonstration on Thursday. We were told to wait for a period of seven days, which is Monday next week,” Hlongwane explained.
He confirmed the march next Monday, saying that it will be peaceful with the objective of seeking responses from the Department of Home Affairs and the Greater Kokstad Municipality. Zolani Siqwayi, the Greater Kokstad Municipality spokesperson, said that the municipality is committed to peaceful marches and picketing. He acknowledged that a meeting between organisers of the march and the municipality was convened on Tuesday to explain systems that needed to be adhered to.
“In keeping with the regulation of the Gatherings Act, the municipality processes all applications received and communicates its consideration to organisers of any march,” he stated.
In speaking about the possible shutdown on Monday, Siqwayi said nothing was communicated to the municipality. Police spokesperson Mosa Hlaki said that law enforcement officers have been deployed to monitor the widespread demonstrations.
“Police are on the ground to prevent any disruptions and intimidations,” she concluded.
