The last week, the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) have been planning a 'national lockdown' for South Africa on 20 March 2023, calling for the resignation of President Cyril Ramaphosa and an end to loadshedding among a number of other issues.

Concern has been raised for citizens including the safety of motorists. MasterDrive advises following these six essential safety tips to ideally avoid the unrest all together or, failing that, know how to keep yourself as safe as possible on the roads.


1. Stay at home. Arrange to work from home if you are able to.
2. Keep your vehicles fuel tanks topped up – fuel stations may be affected or closed for the day.
3. Plan your routes well in advance and try to not travel alone, particularly if you are a vulnerable citizen.
4. Keep track of developments on the ground and of possible flare-ups in and around your area or on your route of travel with the use of the news, social media and information from trustworthy friends and colleagues. Steer clear of any routes that may pass through potential hotspots – plan to leave with some ‘buffer’ time to account for potential delays.
5. If you are on the road, look ahead for or anticipate traffic congestion or crowds along your route (also make use of navigation apps). Do not be afraid to stop and evaluate options – turn around if needed.
6. Do not stay boxed in during traffic: ideally try to safely move out of the congestion but if you cannot at least maintain a safe distance between yourself and the other vehicles.