Carnival atmosphere as EFF supporters prepare for Phoenix march

Busloads of EFF supporters gathered at Gandhi Park in Phoenix, north of Durban, on Thursday, ahead of a march against those involved in criminal acts which saw 36 people killed during the recent unrest.

The EFF on Tuesday announced that they planned to “march to Phoenix against racist Indians” , which drew mixed reaction ranging from criticism from minority groups to support from those calling for justice for the victims and their families.

After a meeting on Wednesday the EFF said it was embarking on a “solidarity march to Phoenix”.

On Thursday, hundreds of EFF supporters gathered at the park singing and dancing ahead of an address before the march.

Sham Maharaj, convener of the Phoenix peace and development committee, said: “We are very happy to be here. It's a carnival atmosphere. We have led a delegation of community leaders in Phoenix to come to where the EFF will be starting the march.

“We are here to show that we also care in Phoenix about lives that were lost. We also care about the racism problem. We want to assure the EFF that not everybody in Phoenix participated in killing and looting,” he said.

African Democratic Change national leader Visvin Reddy told TimesLIVE: “We are here today to seek reconciliation and peace. There is much anger among communities. People have lost lives as a result of the looting and killing that has swept through our province and our beautiful city.

“We are here to say to people that let us not channel our anger in the wrong. Our anger must be channelled towards a failed government. The government has failed to protect its citizens, and that is why we are in this situation”

This is a developing story.

TimesLIVE