The Gupta family’s Saxonwold home is a high-pressure environment where the security detail always had to be armed
The Democratic Alliance has agreed to not come within a 900m radius of the infamous Gupta family compound in Saxonwold during its anti-state capture march on Thursday.
The opposition party said that it would march on the Gupta compound to protest against state capture. In a dig at President Jacob Zuma, the DA said that the Gupta’s luxury Saxonwold home is the “real #JacobZumaMonument”.
The family gave the opposition party a deadline for last night to cancel the march, saying the DA did not give sufficient notice of its intent to march to them. They then threatened to launch an urgent application to interdict the march, but Gupta family lawyer Gert van der Merwe confirmed that all parties had come to an agreement to not go within 900m of the Saxonwold compound.
“JMPD was advised and the urgent application was therefore removed,” van der Merwe said.
On Wednesday, Zuma unveiled a monument to himself in the North West province at the newly launched Groot Marico Heritage Site near Zeerhurst. Civil society groups and opposition parties have criticised the structure as a monument to corruption, describing Zuma as undeserving of the honour of a statue in his name.
The Guptas have said that the DA cannot march on their home, because violence has erupted in previous protests. One notable protest earlier this year say teargas and stun grenades fired by riot police after Gupta supporters Black First Land First disrupted an anti-Zuma protest outside the Saxonwold home.