If pres. If Cyril Ramaphosa does not comply with the memorandum on farm attacks and murders that they will deliver to him today, another march will follow in a month with three times as many protesters.
This is how Debbie Nel, national coordinator of the weekend’s protests about farm attacks, threatens.
She attended Saturday morning’s protest in Cape Town.
The protesters marched with escort, and sometimes applause, from the police to parliament.
“The police accompanied us all the way, clapped our hands, took photos and made sure the traffic was under control,” she says.
A procession was held at the same time from the Voortrekker Monument to the Union Buildings in Pretoria.
Although the police there were just as helpful, they did threaten to file a charge against the protesters for violating some of the restrictive regulations with the rally.
Justin Behr, the Gauteng organizer, says two police officers asked for his details after the march and said it was routine to lodge a complaint.
This could not be confirmed.
About 300 people gathered in front of the closed gates of the Voortrekker Monument at 09:00.
Clinton Barrett, one of the protesters, says it was a quiet march.
“At one stage the police asked us to spread out to maintain a healthy distance between each other, but the people refused.”
He added that the police were “very kind and accommodating”.
Jan Janse van Rensburg (20), from Vaalwater in Limpopo and an agricultural student at the University of Pretoria, says “enough people showed up, but if it were not for the fact that the police said on Thursday that it is against the law to hold marches do not like, there would have been much more ”.
“I just wanted to add a face to show I support the cause.”
Hendrik Jooste was there with his wife, Betsie, and son, Thinus.
He is disappointed that there were so few people.
“At least we could prove a point,” he says.
The protest in both cities ended around 1:30 p.m.
Capt. Malcolm Potjie, police spokesperson, confirmed on Monday that about 500 vehicles took part in a car march on the N2 in the Southern Cape yesterday.
The vehicles drove slowly from Groot-Brakrivier to Hartenbos.
According to Potje, about 1 000 people took part in the “sporadic protest” and no incidents were reported.
