The national shutdown called for by the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) got off to a slow start on Monday, 20 March. In the Vhembe area it was "business as usual" in most areas, with very few incidents of intimidation being reported.
In Thohoyandou it was eerily quiet early in the morning. Many of the shops did not open early, possibly adopting a "wait and see" attitude. Even the hawkers only opened their stalls later than usual.
Later in the morning a group of EFF members started with a protest march in the centre of Thohoyandou, but a large police contingent was present to keep a close eye on the activities. The government offices opened on time and even at areas such as Sibasa and Makwarela the government offices operated as usual.
In Louis Trichardt there were reports of buses being stopped from ferrying passengers from the Sinthumule/Kutama side. Some buses and taxis, however, operated as usual. A strong police presence in the area also kept a watchful eye.
By mid-morning, a small group of EFF supporters (totalling about 40) were spotted protesting at the 3 Mile traffic circle at the N1/Elim junction. Again, the protestors were kept in check by a large law enforcement presence at the scene. There was no indication of any EFF protest action along the major traffic arteries leaving Louis Trichardt including the N1 north to Musina, R524 to Thohoyandou and R522 to Vivo.
As a precautionary measure, some shops in Louis Trichardt also remained closed. At Makhado Crossing, the entrance to the western parking area was closed with entrance only possible from the eastern entrance.
In Musina the situation was very calm early in the morning. All government institutions, including the municipality, hospital and clinics were operating. A local resident reported that public transport is also operating normally, and most shops are open, although there a few that are still closed. Police visibility is very high and no incident of violence has been reported so far.
Reports from people in the Nzhelele area also indicate that everything is running as normal, with no sign of police or EFF protesters. Shops are operating as normal at the Mphephu plaza in Siloam and the Nzhelele valley shopping centre in Biaba.