Message received, says DA after march to Luthuli House regarding ...
Despite being prevented from getting close to Luthuli House, the DA believes the ANC received its message that citizens will no longer tolerate the governing party's "manufactured electricity crisis".
DA leader John Steenhuisen believes his party's message, that South Africans' level of tolerance towards "an ANC manufactured electricity crisis" had reached breaking point, was heard loud and clear by the governing party.
"Despite them preventing us from getting closer to their [Luthuli House],we still believe that the message echoed by a majority of South Africans that enough is enough has been heard by the ANC," said Steenhuisen.
"The country does not have an Eskom problem, nor does it have a National Energy Regulator of South Africa problem, but what it does have is an ANC problem; that is why we are here and not wasting our time at the Union Buildings or [Eskom] Megawatt Park, we are coming straight to the source of the problem."
READ | Tense standoff brewing: DA marches as ANC Youth League vows to defend Luthuli House 'at all costs'
The DA was denied access to the ANC's headquarters by a large crowd of ANC Youth League (ANCYL) members, who carried all sorts of weapons, including sjamboks, sticks and rocks.
As a result, law enforcement officials advised that the DA rather congregate at the library lawns adjacent to the ANC's headquarters.
Scores of DA supporters march to Luthuli House on Wednesday to protest SA's energy crisis.
News24 Alfonso Nqunjana/ News24
Police used fencing to cordon off the area, while the DA had hired private security to ensure that no fights took place.
The ANCYL was adamant that it would not allow its leadership to accept a memorandum from any opposition party.
Earlier, ANCYL national task member Tlangi Mogale said they had been mandated to defend the ANC's headquarters.
"If the DA wants to raise matters related to electricity, it should direct them to Eskom's headquarters.
ANC supporters gathered outside Luthuli House while DA supporters held their march.
News24 Alfonso Nqunjana/News24
"There is an unspoken rule between political parties not to infringe on another's headquarters. The DA should keep a 100-metre radius away from Luthuli House, and we know they hired black people for R150 each and will use them as human shields, so we can't be violent to our own people," said Mogale.
