Eastern Cape Transport and Community Safety MEC Xolile Nqatha has warned the public that the State will deal decisively with any fear mongers responsible for voice notes and videos calling for a shutdown on social media.

This comes as voice notes and videos were shared on social media seeking to intimidate, incite violence and threaten people’s democratic right to participate in the upcoming elections.

According to reports, taxi drivers allegedly hijacked trucks and used them to block both sides of the N2 and R61 roads.

Reports suggest that the taxi operators’ actions were because of a crackdown by authorities following an outbreak of violence last week.

Nqatha has assured that public that there will be no shutdown of Mthatha, and has directed the police to track down and bring to justice the man responsible for the video and any other person or persons responsible for similar social media posts.

‘The most recent of these social media posts is a brazen video recording by a man, allegedly who calls for a
complete shutdown of Mthatha; a stop of elections campaigns in and around Mthatha, less than 48 hours before the elections. The call comes after the police confiscated pistols and assault rifles following the resurgence of taxi violence in the Mthatha, Tsolo and Maclear areas,’ the department said on Monday.

Nqatha has termed these acts as selfish, immature and irresponsible actions that seek to undermine the rule of law in this province, and in Mthatha in particular.

‘The utterances of the man who recorded the video in particular are an insult to the sacrifices of many of our liberation struggle heroes and heroines. He is virtually spitting in the faces of all our anti-apartheid heroes and heroines, many of whom have sacrificed with their lives for this right to vote and the right for freedom of movement that we now want to take away from our people.

“We can never allow any person to do that on our watch, for that will be a betrayal of this freedom that we now enjoy, and the sacrifices of those who fought
so hard for it,’ the MEC said.

He said his department is working closely with the police to end the taxi violence in the province.

Source: South African Government News Agency