The City of Tshwane has warned motorists in Pretoria that no vehicles will be allowed at Tuesday, 30 June’s March and March gathering point at Church Square.
According to Tshwane, protest participants are scheduled to gather at the square in Pretoria Central by 10:00 before proceeding to march to Sunnyside Police Station.
“There will be a drop-off zone for buses only at WF Nkomo Street and Bosman Street, Church Square entrance,” the city explained.
“Thereafter, buses are expected to proceed to the Old Putco Depot, where they will be parked in Marabastad.”
It added that private vehicles will be parked at an open space at the corner of Kgosi Mampuru Street and Madiba Street.
The planned route for the march and the streets it will affect are as follows:
From Church Square, the marchers will join Paul Kruger Street and turn left onto Francis Baard Street, left to Lillian Ngoyi Street, right at Madiba Street, right onto Nelson Mandela Drive, left at Kotze Street, left onto Van Boeschoten Avenue, right to Robert Sobukwe Street, left at Leyds Street and proceed until they reach their destination.
As such, the City of Tshwane has advised motorists to use alternative routes to make their way through the city, including:
- Nana Sita Street
- Visagie Street
- Justice Mahomed Street
- Jeff Masemola Street
- Bosman Street
- Johannes Ramokhoase Street
- Struben Street
- Bloed Street
- Kgosi Mampuru Street
- Eskia Mphahlele Drive
Protesters are expected to disperse from the Sunnyside Police Station by 15:00.
“The Tshwane Metro Police Department (TMPD) and South African Police Service (SAPS) officers will be deployed to monitor the march and all affected streets,” the city confirmed.
Purpose of the march
South Africa is reportedly on high alert for the national shutdown next week, with police deployment of R600 million and drones and helicopters on standby.
That being said, the March and March protests have been pushed by anti-illegal-immigration groups as a day of national shutdown in the country.
According to our sister publication, BusinessTech, these groups have positioned themselves as being against illegal immigrants only, noting that the protests have nothing to do with xenophobia.
Protesters are now calling for undocumented foreigners to leave the country, and are demanding an increase in the number of immigration officers to enhance the enforcement of the country’s immigration laws.
March and March has submitted a series of demands to the authorities, including stricter border controls and the mass deportation of undocumented foreign nationals.
Protest groups met with the National Executive earlier in June, which led to authorities urging demonstrators to remain peaceful during their actions.
Defence Minister Angie Motshekga noted that while the right to strike is secured in the Constitution, she warned protesting groups that “the right goes with certain responsibilities”.
“As much as South Africans have the right to strike, and their anger and their frustration are highly understood, we support them in that it is a free and safe march. All we are asking them is to do so within the framework of the law,” she said.
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