New plan to bring South Africa to its knees on Monday 23 August
Police are preparing for attacks on law enforcement entities and important infrastructure, which aim to make South Africa ungovernable.
This is according to a report from Netwerk24, citing a document from intelligence officials detailing measures to address a new plan supposedly contrived by the same instigators behind the days of unrest in KwaZulu-Natal and Gauteng last month.
Following the arrest of former president Jacob Zuma, violence and looting resulted in billions of rand in damage to scores of shopping malls, wholesale retailers, bank branches, and hundreds of stores and ATMs.
The new document states that attacks planned for Monday, 23 August, will see rioters target police stations, military bases, and other premises where law enforcement officials work.
These are supposedly aimed at acquiring firearms and ammunition.
In addition, the document notes that insurrectionists will target state, municipal, and police vehicles.
The instigators have also encouraged people to take firearms from law enforcement officials and security officers, and hit correctional service facilities to free prisoners.
Sources have further told Netwerk24 that intelligence officials received information there were plans to take over national keypoints and “shut down” the country as part of a campaign dubbed #RamaphosaShutDown.
The police and security industries reportedly take the threats seriously, with plans to thwart the attacks.
A national order has been issued that no police officer may work alone and that all officers must wear bulletproof vests, including those working in charging offices at police stations.
Another document from the head of visible policing in the Western Cape issued the following directives to police leaders in the province:
- Entry controls at police offices, police buildings, and other premises under police guard must be tightened.
- Officers must store all firearms in appropriate safes.
- Additional police members must be deployed to protect police units, stations, and key points.
- All police members that use public transport must be fetched at their homes.
It’s unclear why the attack is being planned for 23 August.
The latest report comes after there was great concern over the prospect of renewed violence and looting when former president Jacob Zuma was expected to appear in the Pietermaritzburg High Court this past Tuesday.
Large crowds of Zuma supporters were anticipated to converge on the court. City Press reported that the police was concerned that ammunition looted from a shipping container in Durban would be used by protesters.
However, this never came to be as the former president was a no-show for the case because he was being treated in hospital for an undisclosed medical condition.
Zuma’s legal team claimed he had a life-threatening condition that prevented him from appearing in court.
Judge Piet Koen has ruled that Zuma’s doctors must now compile a medical report on his condition. This must be provided to the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) by 20 August.
The NPA will then be allowed to appoint its own medical expert to examine Zuma and determine whether he will be fit to attend open court on 9 September.