A court has reportedly granted an interim order restricting protests by the movement March and March in Durban, days before the 4 November municipal elections.
The order followed an earlier hearing in the High Court at which the government's bid to restrict protests in the city had to stand down after the judge questioned the exact relief being sought.
What we know
An urgent application to restrict March and March protests was set down for hearing on Friday. At that hearing, the judge struggled to tell apart the temporary restrictions sought ahead of the 4 November elections and what appeared to be a broader, permanent interdict, and the matter stood down. A later report said the court granted an interim order.
Context
The municipal elections are on 4 November. Earlier this week, President Cyril Ramaphosa approved the deployment of 510 soldiers in KwaZulu-Natal until 30 November.
What we do not yet know
We have not seen the order, so we do not know its terms, how long it lasts, which areas or routes it covers, or exactly who applied for it. It is reported as a government application. We do not know whether March and March opposed the application or will challenge the order, or when the matter returns to court.
