Several prominent South African businesses plan to keep their doors open during the EFF’s “national shutdown” protest on Monday, 20 March 2023, while civil rights organisations and business interest groups have also condemned the planned action.
The company’s corporate affairs vice president Brian Leroni told Sunday Times although its stores would be open on Monday, managers were fully empowered to close them based on clear guidelines.Woolworths spokesperson Silindile Gumede said that the retailer would brief its stores on dealing with possible disruptions.
These organisations include the Helen Suzman Foundation, Organisation Undoing Tax Abuse, Solidarity, and Right to Know. “South Africa is already in crisis, as evidenced by the daily load-shedding, poor service delivery, poverty, unemployment, hunger, continued state capture and corruption, and malfeasance.”
“Destabilisation benefits those who wish to avoid accountability, and those who are against upholding the rule of law,” they said.