Guptas beef up estate security

Political parties raise the stakes as Zuma case to be heard today

ARMED guards have been dispatched to the Gupta estate in Saxonwold, as Economic Freedom Fighters leader Julius Malema and thousands of his supporters prepare to march to Constitution Hill this morning.

The EFF members are, however, not the only ones marching to the site of the Constitutional Court today, as the ANC Youth League is also planning to march in defence of President Jacob Zuma.

The DA and civic organisations are expected to stage their own marches on the Johannesburg venue.

The Gupta family owns The New Age newspaper and television channel ANN7.

The EFF has said that journalists working for these entities are not welcome at their gatherings and if they did attend their safety would not be guaranteed.

Today, the Constitutional Court is expected to hear arguments from the EFF and the DA after they took Zuma to court following his failure to implement the public protector’s recommendation that he pay back part of the money used for security upgrades to his home in Nkandla.

After years of refusal, with the police minister and parliament absolving Zuma of liability, Zuma proposed last week to repay some of the money as recommended by the public protector.

However, the EFF and the DA said this was too little too late and the court should decide.

The EFF march is expected to start at 10am at Mary Fitzgerald Square in Newtown, Johannesburg.

Johannesburg Metro Police Department spokesman Edna Mamonyane said the department would try to keep the ANCYL march separate from that of the EFF, but could not confirm whether the ANCYL had been granted permission to march along the same route as the EFF.

“We have enough manpower to deal with issues when it comes to the march because when we give permission [to march] we put the operational planning in place,” Mamonyane said.

Gauteng police spokesman Colonel Lungelo Dlamini said enough police officers would be dispatched to the march.

ANCYL national spokesman Mlondi Mkhize said the march was intended not only to defend the president, but also democracy.

He said the Nkandla saga was not the fault

of Zuma but the result of mismanagement by the Department of Public Works, as various commissions had found.

EFF spokesman Mbuyiseni Ndlozi said party members would defend themselves should anyone try to interfere with or disrupt the march.

COPE will also be there to support the “country’s highly cherished constitution‚ the Chapter 9 institutions‚ and for the embattled public protector”.

“[Today’s] case is not about whether President Zuma must pay back a portion of the money spent on his private property at Nkandla‚” COPE’s Dennis Bloem said.

“It is about an issue infinitely bigger than that. It has to do with the centrality of the constitution in the governance of South Africa and the vital role of Chapter 9 institutions.

“The public protector has to have real power to protect ordinary South Africans against pushy politicians seeking to destroy our constitutionally guaranteed safeguards.

“Remedial actions proposed by the public protector cannot be wilfully ignored by those in power because they are against them.

“If those powers are rendered ineffectual‚ politicians would become untouchable and corrupt to the very core.”

Meanwhile, DA youth leader Yusuf Cassim said his organisation was considering laying a criminal complaint against ANCYL president Collen Maine for his threats of “civil war”.

COPE said earlier yesterday it was consulting its legal team to formulate a possible complaint of incitement against Maine.

Cassim said the DA condemned the “disturbing comments” made by Maine on Sunday and would refer the matter to the SA Human Rights Commission for its consideration “for remarks we contend rise to the level of inciting violence”.

“Maine‚ in his reckless statements‚ threatened civil war against those who undermine the ANC leadership‚ particularly President Zuma in the build-up to the state of the nation address (Sona) this week‚” Cassim said.

“Specifically‚ Maine said: ‘The ANC Youth League will attend the Sona to defend the nation. We are ready for them. There will be blood.’

“The thousands of youth present were urged to take action and to ‘defend the nation’ during the upcoming Sona‚” Cassim said.

“The Minister of Police‚ Nathi Nhleko‚ was even requested not to have security as the youth members would take over this role.”

Cassim urged ANC secretary-general Gwede Mantashe to “come out strongly and publicly and condemn such speech if the ANC is at all committed to an inclusive and non-violent South Africa”.

“Failure to do so will demonstrate that the ANC and its youth constituent have lost touch with both reality and the people of South Africa,” Cassim said.

“That the ANCYL is prepared to shed blood in this regard typifies an ANC in sharp decline and desperate to hold on to power amid its deterioration ahead of the local government elections.”

Bloem also condemned Maine’s “inflammatory remarks”.

He said COPE was seriously alarmed at the war talk from the youth leader. WHEN President Jacob Zuma gives his ninth state of the nation address (Sona) on Thursday, thousands of people will rally together in major centres to protest against the state of his presidency.

The Donkin Reserve in Central, along with venues in Cape Town, Durban and Pretoria, will host what is collectively expected to be tens of thousands of supporters of the campaign.

The event, a “non-political and non-religious” initiative of the Save Our Nation Alliance, will be held between 4.30pm and 7.30pm in each city.

It will coincide with Zuma’s address – which will be broadcast live from parliament in Cape Town.

Campaign regional organiser Renaldo Gouws described the event as a form of “sit-in” protest against Zuma’s embattled presidency and an opportunity to exercise democracy, as ordinary people would have an opportunity to air their views.

“This is a non-political and non-religious event for people who feel strongly about the state of the presidency. We will be having live music and speakers, who include NMMU student leaders and broadcast professional, entertainer and MC for the event Selwyn Willis.

“A major component will be an open-mic session which will give people the chance to put their views across,” Gouws said. Nationally, at least 40 000 people were expected to support the various rallies.

“The emphasis . . . is certainly on what people have to say and it is around two main themes – why Zuma must fall and why we love South Africa.”

It coincided with Sona because “we don’t care what Zuma has to say, we just want him to leave”.

People were encouraged to wear black, in line with the apolitical objectives of the campaign, and to bring placards that were not offensive, he said.

Permission had been granted and police and private security would ensure people’s safety.