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South Africa is bracing for a massive security deployment as the government moves to secure the country ahead of the anti-illegal immigration protests planned for June 30.
After high-level meetings between SA Police Service leadership and defence minister Angie Motshekga, the state revealed it is pulling resources from outside the normal police budget to mount a heavy and preventive operation at a cost of R600m.
Flagging major hotspots across KwaZulu-Natal, Gauteng, the Western Cape and the Eastern Cape, authorities are placing the South African National Defence Force (SANDF) on high standby to support police if things boil over.
Acting police minister Firoz Cachalia came out with a firm warning to groups planning to march, insisting that while peaceful assembly is protected, lawlessness will be met with the full force of the state.
Officials have also issued a strict directive that no weapons of any kind, including traditional weapons, will be permitted at the marches. They warned organisers that they must manage the crowds effectively.
The scale of the spend has immediately sparked intense public debate. Supporters argue that after the trauma of past civil unrest, a massive and visible show of force is exactly what is needed to protect infrastructure, businesses and lives.
Critics wonder if allocating such a large sum on a temporary and reactive operation is a wise use of taxpayer money, especially when community policing, local stations and essential services are chronically underfunded.
TimesLIVE
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