INLSA
Police prepare Beyers Naud� Square in the Joburg CBD for ANC Youth League leader Julius Malema's march. Photo: Matthews Baloyi
Thursday’s “economic freedom” march – led by the ANC Youth League from the Joburg CBD – will be a show of force for its leader, Julius Malema.
At least 10 000 ANCYL members were expected to converge on the Joburg CBD on Thursday for their 17km march to the heart of Sandton. The march, starting at Beyers Naudé Square and ending at the JSE in Sandton, is expected to gridlock the city’s traffic.
Analysts say the march will test the support base of the young leader.
On Wednesday night – 13 hours ahead of the league’s congregation – the police began setting up security measures around Luthuli House in an attempt to avoid marchers bringing the city to its knees.
At least 5 000 members from three of the province’s law enforcement agencies – the SAPS, Joburg metro police (JMPD) and Gauteng traffic police – are expected to control the thousands of expected marchers to avoid the chaos that broke out in the CBD during the week of Malema’s disciplinary hearing.
JMPD spokeswoman Edna Mamonyane said the metro police’s essential units would be brought in to ensure there was a peaceful march.
“I can’t give you the exact number of officers we will bring out. But the equestrian unit, the dog unit, the units dealing with warrants, other units dealing with schools and taxis, and the alpha and bravo patrol units will all be out there.
“There will be members based in the Johannesburg CBD, on and along Oxford Road, and along the route that the league will march to Sandton, and also in Sandton. There will be members everywhere,” she said.
“When the march moves to Pretoria, the Tshwane metro police department will take over,” added Mamonyane.
She said they were also depending on the manpower being brought in by the police.
Community safety spokesman Thapelo Moiloa said close to 2 000 members from the Gauteng traffic police would be on duty from 6am.
“Our guys will be up way before 8am when the marchers gather at Beyers Naudé Square. People should expect a strong presence on the roads until late afternoon, when we are sure that the marchers have left the area.”
He said the three law enforcement agencies had sat down together earlier in the week to develop an operational plan. “We will be divided in groups to cover all the ground.”
Moiloa said one of their main duties would be manning road closures, but crowd control would be an important task too.
“We want to make sure that traffic is not disturbed and there is free flow, and that businesses do not experience any disruptions.”
Police spokesman Lieutenant-Colonel Lungelo Dlamini said there would be zero tolerance to all lawlessness behaviour.
Drinking in public, indecent acts, contravention of municipality by-laws, looting, damage to property and any other criminal activity would be taken up by the agencies, said Dlamini.
Political analyst Steven Friedman said: “What we have in this situation is someone like Tokyo Sexwale testing his support for next year. If it (support for Malema) all goes wrong, he can very easily distance himself from it, and he won’t get identified. But if it goes right, it will help him.”
Malema has, however, denied the “economic freedom youth mass action” was meant to undermine the ANC.
ANC secretary-general Gwede Mantashe said on Wednesday: “We don’t have a problem with the youth league’s march, as they have a right to march like any other organisation… We accept that this march is not against the ANC or linked to the 2012 national conference of the ANC.”
He added it was agreed that the socio-economic issues raised were genuine concerns.
“The private sector is not stepping up to the plate, and we (the ANC) agreed with that,” Mantashe said regarding job creation.
He said the ANC was satisfied with the measures put in place by the youth league, which had taken full responsibility for the march and its consequences.
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Anonymous, wrote
Sad, IT'S SO SAD TO SEE THAT THIS IS THE MENTALITY OF THE SO CALLED DEMOCRATIC YOUTH. i grew up knowing what was done in the past & taught not be like that. BUT i've felt first hand how AA & BEE will get someone who knows jack everything, funny thing is we all went for the same training. Guess this BLACK & WHITE racism crap wont stop until we end up with a dictator whom will throw anyone not black out of this country!!! (Edited by IOL)
Zulustian, wrote
I'm one of the fortunate people in that I have a warm bed to sleep in and something to eat every day, but admit that there is allot of injustice that we as African's bestow upon ourselves. So what if Malema has nice houses, cars etc, the point is that people are suffering, and if Malema shares his assets or gave away all his money, it still would not solve the problem of poverty and un-employment. I hate people who try and misguide others by pointing the finger at Malema's assets, while the real culprits are the Leaders who abonden our people. I'm not a rasit, but feel that white people cannot comment on the conditions of our people if they've never been in it.
Xolile, wrote
For nova you are coming here off the boats because it is your fathers that is the ones whom is taking the lands. If you are born in Africa it doesn’t mean you are an African. The true peoples of Africa is having there parents born in Africa and are not coming from other lands to claim our lands. And no we are not coming to these lands from the oxcarts like you are saying we were born in these lands and don’t tell me for the khoi khoi they were in the cape town but we also were in the cape and all in the rest of Africa. We did not do an injustice to the khoi. You were treating us like slave and the khoi and that is how the colored people is coming to be in south Africa. And not all the peoples who is supporting apathaid is leaving; terrablanch and de klerck is still in our lands and the white peoples in camps bay. I am not racist I am speaking the truth which it is that the boer does not want to hear. Malema will take these things from you and give it to the peoples who it is belonging to like the mines and the farms. Viva malema viva siyamumphela
Anonymous, wrote
This morning on my way to work, I saw this starving child on the street,begging for anything to eat. While I was reaching for money...I suddenly got very angry and felt a huge sadness in my hart! Malema you are supposed to stand by these little kids, make there live more meaningfull help change there future...nothing more is needed to be said on this. You are a disapointment to them and to our country.Just imagine a little boygirl on the streetcorner with tears running down hisher cheek,and begging for someone to see them.
ODC, wrote
The Land issue is over played, The only people who were entitled to lodge land claims were those who were forced out of their land by the Group Areas Act and similar law around the 1940s, not every black person is entitled to claim land from white people. This is why the is no land claims against Indian people because they did not benefit from apartheid law, SO PLEASE STOP THIS "OUR LAND" BULL!!!!!!!!!!!
Xolile, wrote
for anonymous it is not me being brain washed it is you that is not wanting the true peoples of this country to have what it is that is belonging to them you are coming here from britain and taking our lands. the boer is taking the lands like camps bay and you are wanting us to be staying in the townships. and we are working hard to make the republic a true democracy it is not about being lazy i am having a job so you cant say these things. apathaid is not being gone for 20 years like it is that you are saying. the boer still makes the true peoples slave and this is why they are still having all the money and the lands. this country must change and malema will make sure that the trues peoples are given there lands back and this will include the mines and the farms. zuma is a puppet to the boer.
me, wrote
I am one of the fortunate one with jobs,but it saddens me to see another person who was smarter than me at school struggling to find a job,it aches me.If there are alternatives to this march,please help out.workplace is also exploiting people especially blacks.
Anonymous, wrote
Does nobody know how much money Malema has? Watches, cars, houses etc, lol. Why not help your brothers and sisters out?, Mr robin fing hood, J.M.you are the bloody agent!Seems the brainwashing of propoganda fills your eyes with distorted truths? You are all stupid in thinking this march is about youths, freedom or anything for you, THIS is all about HIM, and will always remain so.But you think its about you.Another sad time in R.S.A. (Edited by IOL)
Pete, wrote
It is clear that the mission is not freedom but power. And eish Mxukuthwa, are you brainwashed as well. If you can prove that you can do better with the land, well then great go ahead and make claims to put your money where your mouth is. I will take you across the border to the once great land now called Zimbabwe, see what land grabs did for the people there. If you can still convince yourself its the way to go, you should be walking with JuJu and the rest of the freedom revolution and see what it will cost you and all the other comrades.
Nova, wrote
@Xolile. I'm of European decent but I'm not one of those that is coming here off the boat from Holland and Britain, I was born here. Are you one of those that is coming here off the oxcart from Northern Africa? Why did you take the land from the Khoisan. When will you pay them back for the injustices you committed against them? Those poor guys are still waiting for you to acknowledge the pain you caused them. Apartheid is over, and those who supported it fled the country. Those who welcomed the new South Africa stayed, and guess what? Even with all your racist rantings, we keep working, keep paying taxes, and keep wishing the government would spend that money on the poor. But unfortunately, you keep voting the ANC into power even after they have blatantly lied to you, filled their own pockets with our hard earned money, and lied to you some more. So this is how much I care about your plight...
Peter, wrote
THIS JUST IN: Julius appoints Bryce Lawrence as his advisor - together no one can stop them tearing this beautiful country apart.....
permanent resident, wrote
It is the ANCYL COMRADES MARATHON with a difference.Marching from Beuers Naude Square to Sandton and then to Pretoria..I wish we could believe that this march and Malema,is just and honest and without a hidden agenda.Unfortunately,there is no way that we can stand by Malema and the ANCYL.Too many rivers have dried up.Remember,The world is taking note on fraud,corruption and many other issues that will negatively affect investors to RSA.Malema is just adding more coal to the fire
Anonymous, wrote
I wonder just what they are going to do with everything they 'take back' if they expect to receive it without hard work? It's exactly these arrogant, lazy people that we need out of our country! These people who expect that everything should be handed to them! They blame their hardships on Apartheid, where was the youth during Apartheid? Apartheid has been over for almost 20 years, if you cannot recover and become successful in twenty years then maybe you should re-assess yourself.
pantsula, wrote
hey 'soviet' - these are NOT strikers, they are UNEMPLOYED!
GTIGirl, wrote
How can they say the march will be peaceful if Malema is threatening that 'blood will flow if 80% of the country isn't nationalised'? Followers, beware, Malema will say anything you want to hear, he needs you in numbers to follow him! Take a look at the history, this has happened in many other African countries. Property of non-blacks are taken away, and then as soon as they it, what do they do to make it grow and florish? Then five years down the line, when everything falls to pieces, the African people invite the other races back in. Look at Mozambique, look at Zimbabwe and Tanzania. Your wonderful leader will make you all look like a bunch of fools!
JennyN, wrote
Boineelo Dennis Kevin Mokoma, you are being taken for a ride. Your march may be peaceful (time will tell), and your own intentions may be pure, but your esteemed leader (your standards are very low, sir) can do nothing at all about creating jobs. As long as your ruling party steal BILLIONS (more than R100 billion this financial year alone - gone, not accounted for, spent on flashy cars, parties, five star accommodation, overseas travel for pals, etc. etc.) there will not be enough money to upgrade the education system. Has your precious leader and his ancyl put their money where their mouths are and paid for even one underpriviledged child to go to school? College? University? While they are eating sushi from the naked bodies of women, you and people like you are getting poorer by the day. Don't you think you deserve better than to be used by people such as this? Education is the bedrock of any progressive society. Marching may be fun, but its going to do nothing but snarl up the traffic. Your government is making a fool of you. Think. Where do you think all his money comes from? Its yours - yours and others like you are being shafted. Its pityful.
Mxukuthwa Sandile, wrote
Malema is good all land which was being taken from us must be back to us without compensetion.we need our belongings
Anonymous, wrote
Xolile: Your comments just prove more and more every day how brainwashed you are by your 'leaders'. Try thinking for yourself for a change and maybe you will get the economic freedom you want so much.
skollie, wrote
I blame Afriforum for all this. They went and upset Malema.
pantsula, wrote
South Africa is NOT a free country as long as the economy is in the hands of a few who exploit the cheap black labour that has made them filthy rich. We have to give Malema credit for representing the plight of the poor and unemployed. They should march on the banks too and the lawyers that represent them. Bloody Agents!
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