Scores of African National Congress (ANC) Youth League members have gathered outside Luthuli House in Johannesburg ahead of the Democratic Alliance’s march.
The league members have vowed to defend their party’s headquarters against any threat.
The DA will march past Luthuli House to protest against rolling blackouts. It blames the country’s energy crisis on the ANC’s cadre deployment policy.
Members of the ANCYL have gathered outside Luthuli house, they’ve vowed to protect the party’s headquarters against the DA which is marching to it over what they call an ANC- engineered electricity crisis. #sabcnews pic.twitter.com/hQsxcM244u
— Natasha Nokuthula Phiri (@NatashaN_Phiri) January 25, 2023
Tlangi Mogale from the league’s task team says the DA should be marching to the offices of government or Eskom.
“No political party can think that they can just wake up and march to another political party’s headquarters. I mean if that was the modus operandi there would be no peace in this country. Inherently political parties will always find a way of campaigning against each other and we view this as campaigning for the 2024 elections. If they have a memorandum of issues they want to submit they can go to Eskom. It is just here at Megawatt Park, not at ANC Luthuli House.”
DA March | ANCYL members vow to defend Luthuli House in face of DA protest: Tlangi Mogale
The current rolling blackouts, according to the DA, are the result of the ANC’s cadre deployment policy.
Members of some civil society organisations have also joined the march, which is protesting the ANC’s “engineered rolling blackouts,” according to the DA.
The DA’s Chief Whip Siviwe Gwarube says the ANC has ignored their shared solutions to the country’s energy crisis.
DA March to Luthuli house | Samkele Maseko reports:
Police on alert
Meanwhile, the Joburg Metro police say they remain on alert as thousands of DA members begin to march from Newtown in Johannesburg.
The JMPD spokesperson Xolani Fihla says, “They will travel from MFG east on Lilian Ngoyi street and turn right onto Harrison street. They will gather in Bayers Naude square where they will be addressed by the organisation’s leadership. They will then march back to MFG square using Helen Joseph street. They will disperse at 1pm in the afternoon. Officers are present to monitor the march and regulate traffic. They will assist motorists to divert from the affected routes, They will monitor for disruptions.”
Several streets in Johannesburg CBD closed ahead of DA’s march to Luthuli house: Mbalenhle Mthethwa
