Limpopo - ANC Youth League protesters arrived at Limpopo premier Cassel Mathale's office in Polokwane on Thursday afternoon.
The group marched to Mathale's office to hand over a memorandum demanding he fire education MEC Dickson Masemola and deliver textbooks to schools in the province.
Dressed in African National Congress T-shirts they sang: “We are changing (President Jacob) Zuma's government” and “The Youth League must pray for us”.
Earlier, the marchers gathered outside Masemola's office to hand a memorandum to him. After waiting for about 30 minutes, they left for the premier's office, saying they would be back later in the day.
Provincial league secretary Jacob Lebogo said the protesters would not hand the memorandum to an unknown official. It had to be to the MEC himself.
“If Dickson (Masemola) wants us to stop education in our schools he must continue with his behaviour,” Lebogo said.
The march, which was delayed for over an hour, started under heavy police presence at the SABC park. Officers in about 10
vehicles kept watch.
Pupils of the Moruleng and Mohlakaneng secondary schools, in Seshego outside Polokwane, were bussed to the SABC park to join the march.
The pupils, who were not given permission from the schools to attend the march, carried placards with slogans “We demand jobs” and “Administration must release our province”.
The league was also marching against the national government placing five Limpopo departments, including education, under administration in December 2011.
Expelled ANCYL president Julius Malema used to go to Mohlakaneng Secondary.
The education department said it was disappointing that ANCYL members were disrupting schooling.
“The department condemns the disruption of schools for political gains,” spokesman Pat Kgomo said in a statement.
“We want to urge the principals, school governing bodies and parents to urgently report any disruptions to the law enforcement agency, and also appeal to learners to refrain from participating in any event that is not curriculum orientated.” - Sapa