Days after the Johannesburg Magistrate’s Court overturned the Metro police’s decision to deny the DA permission to march to the ANC headquarters, the opposition party was given the nod to pursue its action.
“At a meeting with the Johannesburg Metro police, the DA secured the right to march for six million real jobs in Johannesburg next week on Wednesday, 12 February,” DA leader Helen Zille said.
Zille emphasised that the party’s march would be legal and peaceful.
She further defended the DA’s decision to march, saying there was nothing provocative about the party’s action.
“The only thing we aim to provoke is a debate over who has the best plan to create jobs. Is it Jacob Zuma’s ANC with its bogus promise of six million public works placements? Or is it the DA’s plan to create six million permanent real jobs by 2025 through sustainable economic growth,” Zille said.
The DA initially planned to march to the ruling party’s headquarters on 4 February but was denied permission from the Metro police, who believed it would be a risk to protesters.
Following the initial announcement of the DA’s plans to march, the ruling party’s spokesperson Jackson Mthembu asked DA leader Helen Zille to reconsider the decision to march to Luthuli House, saying that it was a “recipe for chaos”.
However, the ANC had since pledged “no violence” during the upcoming march.
“ANC members will not engage in any violence with the opposition,” Gauteng secretary David Makhura said.
