Jeremy’s weekly wrap: How business prepared for the protest blow

A week of key interviews on Moneyweb@Midday captured a country dealing with pressure on several fronts: public-order risk after the 30 June anti-immigration protests, business anxiety over law enforcement and investor confidence, renewed concern about vehicle safety standards, and a political storm over the return of Dina Pule to cabinet.

Ahead of the protests, Anton du Plessis, CEO of Business Against Crime South Africa (Bacsa), said South Africa was better prepared than it had been during the July 2021 unrest, but warned that the situation remained volatile.

He said Bacsa was working through its Eyes and Ears initiative to support the South African Police Service under police command, with more than 500 private-sector companies making helicopters, drones, armed response vehicles, CCTV networks, and medical support available. His key point was that business was not replacing the state but adding capacity where the state needed support.

In the aftermath of the 30 June mobilisation, the interview now reads as an early warning about the complexity of the threat. Du Plessis said the risk was not only to property, malls, and infrastructure, but potentially to individuals, which made the situation more serious.

He stressed that no private group had authority to enforce immigration law and that the private sector’s role was to support lawful policing, intelligence flow and the protection of life and property.

You can also listen to this podcast on iono.fm here.

Alan Mukoki, CEO of the South African Chamber of Commerce and Industry, picked up the business consequences as the protests unfolded. He warned that many companies were facing a low trading day, with revenue lost while fixed costs, including salaries, still had to be carried.

Retail was particularly exposed, while any truck blockades or disruption to arterial routes would have raised the risk for logistics, manufacturing, and supply chains.

Looking back after the protests, Mukoki’s bigger concern was that this could become a recurring economic risk. He argued that government had to communicate more clearly on the difference between lawful immigration enforcement and anti-foreigner sentiment, while also proving that it could protect people, property, and commerce. He warned that single-issue movements could grow stronger as large political parties weaken.

You can also listen to this podcast on iono.fm here.

Road safety then moved into focus, with Bobby Ramagwede, CEO of the Automobile Association, warning that nine popular cars had failed basic safety standards. Ramagwede’s argument was blunt: these vehicles were not safe enough when benchmarked against European and Australian standards.

The AA’s concern is that local minimum compulsory standards remain too low, leaving South African consumers exposed to vehicles that would not meet tougher expectations elsewhere.

You can also listen to this podcast on iono.fm here.

The political interview of the week came from Athol Trollip, ActionSA’s parliamentary leader, who criticised Dina Pule’s appointment as Minister of Social Development as an accountability failure.

Trollip argued that the department serves the most vulnerable people in the country and should not become a site of personal or party-political gain. ActionSA linked Pule’s return to her 2013 removal from cabinet after an ethics finding, saying the reshuffle showed that political patronage still outweighed clean governance.

You can also listen to this podcast on iono.fm here.