South Africa Will Shut Down in June 2020, Says Facebook Group

New Facebook group #ShutSADown has announced that it will shut South Africa down in June.

In a video message on Monday morning, the page’s founder Morne Swart revealed the vision, mission and action plan for Shut SA Down.

He warned the South African government, members of Parliament and the Corporate world that the South African people have had enough, and have a voice that will soon be heard.

He also thanked the international community for their ongoing support and hearing South Africans’ “pleas”.

“We have cried and cried and cried some more. Last week was hell in our country… We went through a very painful time in our country… through hardship, children being killed,” he said, referring especially to Tazne van Wyk, the 8-year-old who was murdered by a neighbour in a crime that shook the country… and particularly shook Morne Swart into taking action and starting the #ShutSADown movement 10 days ago. The self-proclaimed “ordinary person” says he feels like Tazne was his own daughter, the pain he felt was that deep.

He said there will be no more tears. It’s time for action.

The mission, he says, is to change the climate of South Africa, and the course the country is on, to a more positive one… and to do this through silent and peaceful protest.

He said there are no political affiliations or desires to overthrow goverment “because we believe in democracy, but if this government can’t protect our constitutional rights, we the people must take action to do it ourselves”.

He said the people of SA have lost confidence in their political leaders, are ashamed of them, and don’t trust them.

According to Swart, other methods have failed – protesting, burning, begging, crying – so now it’s time to shut the country down for two days.

He says it’s imperative to do this now for “our children and the future of our children… or there’ll be nothing left.”

With South Africa suffering “one of the highest murder rates in the world, more than certain war zones”, he says it’s time to change it. Swart blamed the government for “open borders (which) brought millions free to walk and do as they please – when we struggle to provide work for our own people… It’s time to put South Africa first. And that is what this movement will be about… caring about our own people first. If we don’t act now, we won’t have a future.”

He says the plan is to shut South Africa down on the 2nd and 3rd of June 2020 with silent protest, no street protests or violence. On that day companies will be called on to shut down, people to not go to work and children to stay home from school. (The exceptions will be hospitals and similar institutions which will not be asked to shut down.)

Letters will be sent to companies to inform them.

Followers of the page will be asked to share their concerns on what reasonable demands they have for the government, and a legal team will put together the list of demands, to be presented to Parliament a couple of days before the shut down.

An ambassador for the movement, in Paris, will spearhead international mobilisation, including informing all embassies and enlisting international celebrities.

Meanwhile a local ambassador will spend two months walking from Joburg to Parliament, raising awareness along the way, and finally delivering the Demands.

Swart said companies listed on the JSE are likely to oppose the shut down because they’re “under pressure to perform for investment” but “our lives are worth more than their money”.

He says: “If they want the best for us, they must understand we live in fear and we are not happy employees because our country is a war zone… if they deny us our constitutional right to protest in peace -they will be our next target.”

The African Union, European Union and United Nations are all earmarked to receive letters from the movement.

Addressing President Cyril Ramaphosa and politicians, Swart said South Africans are “worried about our country, and our people are suffering and we will not allow this to continue. We will put pressure on you and you will hear us clearly. We can’t carry on in this country like this Mr President. Our people are getting killed every day, women being raped every day. Last week we lived through a week of hell… many children getting killed every day… one girl that was denied a life (Tazne van Wyk) – and that child is my child and we won’t allow this to happen anymore. We are done. We have the international support. This movement will grow into a force that will change the course of this country…”

Swart wants a country that’s free of hatred, crime, rape and murder… and that instead offers its children a life of joy and happiness, and a future.

“I’m just an ordinary person… take my hand, and I’ll take yours, stand with me, let’s do this for this country… become proud of our country once again.”

He says it’s time for unity and those companies that don’t take part in shutting the country down will be targeted next.

Swart emphasised that the purpose of the movement is not for negativity… but for positive change.