FILE PHOTO: South Africa's official opposition party, the Democratic Alliance's supporters at rally. PICTURE: File Image: DA
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0 JOHANNESBURG: DA leader, Mr John Steenhuisen has urged members of the public to join in the march.
The African National Congress (ANC) has described the Democratic Alliance’s (DA) reason for marching to the governing party’s headquarters at Luthuli House in Johannesburg as a misplaced agenda.
South Africa’s official opposition is set to march later on Wednesday morning against what it calls the country’s ANC-engineered energy crisis.
Eskom is currently implementing stages three and four of rolling blackouts. This has led to some businesses closing down with an alarming level of the increased unemployment rate as companies continue to lay off employees and the devastating impact of this on the economy.
Mr John Steenhuisen has also urged members of the public to join in the march in expressing their displeasure against the ANC.
Speaking to SAFM, the ANC National Spokesperson, Mr Pule Mabe said; “They are actually talking about government and yet they are directing their efforts to the ANC.”
“I mean, this is nothing else but the DA preparing grounds for next year’s electioneering. South Africans are not interested. The ANC has already said it will stand on the side of the people and contribute towards finding lasting solutions. We have invited civil society and industry experts today, to participate in our energy dialogue,” said Mr Mabe.
ANC National Youth Task Team Threats
The DA says it won’t be deterred by the threats of the ANC youth league against the march.
According to their spokesperson, Mr Cilliers Brink says a security assessment has been conducted for the safety of the marchers.
“The Johannesburg Metro Police and the SAPS have put out the conditions to say you will do this, you won’t do this. There is agreement on the route of the march, there’s agreement on the endpoint,” he said.
In addition, we have private security. Indeed we have taken note of these threats by the ANCYL. It’s important for people to realise that those threats show a diversion to accountability. There’s been no public threats, there’s been no speak of violence. The DA is determined to do a peaceful march today,” he added.
Meanwhile, it’s not the first time that one party marches on the offices of the other. In 1994, the Inkatha Freedom Party (IFP) marched to the ANC offices – Shell House in the Johannesburg CBD.
The march turned violent and claimed at least 19 people’s lives.
In 2012, Congress of South African Trade Unions (Cosatu) members threw stones at DA supporters marching to the federation’s offices in Braamfontein and riot police had to fire tear gas.
In 2014, the DA took its fight for jobs campaign to Luthuli House and again in 2017, MKMVA members surrounded the ANC headquarters in anticipation that the anti-Zuma marchers will walk into Luthuli House.
The DA, however, decided to instead march to Mary Fitzgerald Square a block away from the ANC offices.
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