Africa-Press – South-Africa. Hundreds of police officers, soldiers and specialist law enforcement units lined up inside the Castle of Good Hope to be inspected by Police Minister Bheki Cele ahead of their State of the Nation Address (SONA) duties on Thursday.
Wearing bulletproof vests in temperatures of around 30 degrees, they will later fan out to guard the most high-risk inner-city event in Cape Town.
The president, his Cabinet, premiers, MPs, diplomats and selected guests will enter City Hall, the replacement venue for the SONA after the National Assembly was gutted in a fire last year.
The Grand Parade in front of the City Hall is already fenced off, with units already set up and the immediate surrounds saturated with police vehicles.
Nearby, about 100 ragged tents were set out next to the Castle – a long-standing homeless camp. The Castle moat was putrid with the smell of the bags of faeces thrown there.
Inside the Castle, the chaplain said:
They stood with the likenesses of former kings Cetshwayo, Langalibalele and Sekhukhune, and 17th century resistance leader Doman standing in front of them, memorialised in statues. They had been held prisoner at the Castle.
Defence Minister Thandi Modise joined Cele and high-ranking police officers.
Cele did his customary round of shouting “Good morning”, then urged the officers to protect all citizens and visitors.
It was the officers’ second parade of the day.
“Today you must make sure he has chosen the wrong day,” said Cele.
“Your duty is to enforce the law. Therefore, you don’t smile. You don’t romance criminality.”
The team included officers from the SA National Defence Force (SANDF) and traffic services.
He urged officers to drink lots of water in the heat.
Modise thanked them for serving.
“In anticipation of whatever happens today, you will remember all the laws,” she said.
Cele told the media afterwards that protests would be held, but that there should be no problem unless people “cross the line”.
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