News24.com | National shutdown: EFF to challenge City of Cape Town's urgent bid to interdict protest action

• The EFF is set to challenge the City of Cape Town's urgent application to interdict the national shutdown. 
• The party filed its notice to oppose the application on Wednesday. 
• The City of Cape Town approached the court for an interdict against the EFF's planned national shutdown next week.

The EFF is opposing the City of Cape Town's application to interdict the party's planned national shutdown on Monday.

The party filed a notice of motion of its intention in the Western Cape High Court on Wednesday, a day after the City filed its application.

The City said it had approached the Western Cape High Court on Tuesday to prevent any attempts to incite or participate in looting, vandalism and disruption as part of the EFF's national shutdown.

The mayor of Cape Town, Geordin Hill-Lewis, said the City intended to be fully open for business on Monday.

READ | We come in peace, says Malema, but anyone who interferes with EFF shutdown will 'meet their maker'

Hill-Lewis said the interdict was a precautionary measure to ensure the organisers and participants of the shutdown stay within the confines of the law, and that only a march to Parliament to hand over a memorandum would be permitted.

In court papers, the City wants the court to interdict and restrain EFF members and supporters before, during and after the march from harassing or intimidating any persons, or making threatening or intimidating statements, or inciting others to participate in any unlawful protest action. 

Ahead of the shutdown, the EFF has warned businesses to close or risk looting.

The party is organising various marches across the country to protest against load shedding and to call on President Cyril Ramaphosa to resign.

The Western Cape government has threatened court action against the EFF. 

READ | 'No national shutdown in Cape Town': City applies for urgent interdict against EFF's planned action

On Wednesday, EFF leader Julius Malema held a press briefing regarding the national shutdown. 

Malema said the protest would continue, despite the DA's legal challenge. 

"We cannot fold our arms when the country is on the brink of collapse. The future generation is going to ask us what we had done when the country was faced with so many challenges - and the only thing we can do is raise our voices," he said.