ANC Secretary-General Fikile Mbalula has stated that if the South African National Defence Force (SANDF) had not been deployed ahead of the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) shutdown, the authorities would have been accused of negligence. Mbalula spoke at a media briefing at Luthuli House in Johannesburg and mocked what he viewed as a failed attempt by the EFF on Monday. He said that the language used by the EFF ahead of the shutdown was divisive and violent, which justified a swift response by the authorities.
Mbalula gave credit to President Cyril Ramaphosa's decision to deploy the army and the significant presence of law enforcement agencies, which ensured that "anarchy and chaos" did not occur. Ramaphosa deployed 3,474 SANDF members, effective from 17 March to 17 April. Mbalula emphasised that the government had to act, or else they would have been accused of "sleeping on the job." He said that a responsible state cannot allow such occurrences, especially when there are warnings of potential unrest. Mbalula added that South Africans had heeded the ANC's calls not to participate in the national shutdown, which had served as an example of the need for a quick response from law enforcement agencies. He reiterated that the EFF's shutdown was neither in the country's interest nor did it advance the democracy that South Africa had fought so hard for. Mbalula accused the EFF of having no interest in building a cohesive nation.
Mbalula also spoke on the latest developments around former Eskom CEO André de Ruyter, saying that the ANC had sent a letter of demand to him for allegations he made about ANC officials not acting on corruption allegations at the state-owned entity. De Ruyter still needed to respond to the ANC's legal demands, Mbalula said. He insisted that the party was determined to hold De Ruyter accountable and that they would pursue him legally if he failed to respond.