Acting Police Minister Firoz Cachalia has announced that R600 million has been reallocated to the South African Police Service (SAPS) to strengthen operational preparedness ahead of the nationwide demonstrations planned for June 30.
Cachalia made the announcement during a media briefing held at the Gauteng Provincial Government offices in Johannesburg. He was joined by Defence Minister Angie Motshekga, where the two ministers outlined the government’s security plans and readiness measures for the anticipated protests.
According to Cachalia, the current situation is placing significant pressure on state resources, making it necessary for law enforcement agencies to receive additional support to effectively manage the demonstrations and their potential consequences.
He said the country is also dealing with broader regional implications arising from ongoing unrest and protest action.
“The protest action, among other costs, has created a situation that we have to deal with in terms of the fallout in the region. The damage to South Africa’s reputation regionally, across the continent and globally, resulting from what people are seeing in the country, undermines our ability to create jobs, grow the economy and promote regional security,” Cachalia said.
He further warned that strained relations with neighbouring countries could hamper efforts to address migration challenges.
“We need to be able to cooperate with other governments in the region in order to control migration. If they don’t trust us, if that relationship breaks down, then our ability to control migration is also undermined,” he added.
