INDEPENDENT NEWSPAPERS
ANC Youth League leader Julius Malema. Photo: Chris Collingridge
A limping ANC Youth League president Julius Malema led the final leg of an “economic freedom” march from the Caledonian Stadium in Pretoria to the Union Buildings earlier than expected on Friday.
Thousands of supporters proceeded along Pretorius street at 9.30am.
They were expected to proceed through Beatrix Street before turning off at Church Street, under the watchful eye of police.
Loud music was being played from a truck ahead of the marchers who carried placards.
Some of the placards read: “Black on black apartheid”, “greed-based corruption” and “yes we don't want Zuma and Gwede”, referring to President Jacob Zuma and ANC secretary general Gwede Mantashe.
A huge media contingent was barred by marshals from being closer than about 15 metres to Malema, who was walking with difficulty.
Supporters arrived at the stadium in the early hours of Friday morning after walking from Johannesburg on Thursday to create awareness of their economic needs.
Malema led from the front, walking most of the 50-kilometre trip, barring a few breaks on a truck.
He handed over a memorandum of grievances to the Chamber of Mines in Johannesburg's city centre on Thursday, before marching to the Johannesburg Stock Exchange in Sandton.
The walk from Sandton to Tshwane, along the R101 Old Pretoria Road, took eight hours. - Sapa
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Anonymous, wrote
Its time for our youth to be recognised and get employet.
The Gecko, wrote
Oh, and Eric - in case you don't yet understand the point - if an RDP house can be built for R50K, R30 billion is 6 million RDP houses. That means the government STOLE 6 million houses from the poorest of the poor. Or how about 3 million houses and R15billion spent on education and job-creation... And yet, the white man still gets the blame. The mind boggles.
The Gecko, wrote
As a white man - 1) I don't have a maid because I can't afford one. 2) I have never, and will never drink anything from any bottle that cost R1000. That's Juju and his mates you are thinking of. 3) If I were to hire a maid for R1000, that would not come out of my going out budget, because I don't have one - I can't afford it. 4) I agree with you on banks and large corporates paying their employees peanuts. That is totally wrong. 5) The marchers think its the white mans fault that they are poor because that is what Malema et. al. tell them. In the last year the government stole R30 billion in tax money. In reality they didn't steal it from the tax payers, because we would pay taxes anyway. They stole it from the poor - from those marchers - who were supposed to get houses, electricity, water and education paid for by that R30 billion. I am not planning to leave, because I want to be part of the solution - if only the government would let me. Unfortunately the only solution they are willing to accept from the white man is hand-outs, and that simply isn't sustainable.
Mrs V, wrote
@Eric - everybody is interested in giving a person a job who wants to work. So if you are not shy at the word work and the action & sweat it produces, you will have no problem finding a job. All the best!
@Billy Bob, wrote
ja right.
Frazier, wrote
Eric...do you actually know people who spend that much on food and drink? You must be one of them. I have no friends who can afford to go out every month. Everyone is struggling financially, but you seem to be OK!!! Even so I and my friends give a helping hand every month to the poor. We are trying to uplift the poor women especailly who work in our homes, usually we can only afford one once a week, but we contribute to their households, giving extra food for them to take home to their families. Paying out money for funerals, donating clothin etc. Who are all these wealthy people that you know? Maybe I can approach them for some contributions to the poor folk that I see.
Anon, wrote
I would've supported this cause if it had been spearheaded by someone else. You cannot go from singing Shoot the Boer, calling innocent people criminals, referring to others as tea girls, causing huge disrespect to the ANC, and then suddenly expect the country's support on this issue. Economic INEQUALITY does need to be addressed in this country, but there's no ways I'm gonna stand with the likes of Julius Malema.
@Eric, wrote
Some valid points there. It's such a pity that a man like malema is leading the ancyl rather than someone who thinks more like you.
Anonymous, wrote
hahahahahahahaha.....ok guys, well done ! Now get ready for the BIG march...we are going to march from Jozie to Cape Town...no ? I thought you like marching...? hahahaha....and JZ is not even in the country !
Charl Pietersen, wrote
Could not agree more with "Billy Bob". It has taken quite some time, but the old "white" faction in this beloved country of ours is eventually coming round to the wonderful work that young Julius Malema is doing. He truly is a great future leader of our country and, I can only hope, will one day be blessed with the title of President of The Republic. I'm very much looking forward to hearing what Comrade Malema is going to do next. Hope his foot ailments recover quickly.
aNON el politico, wrote
@eric...boy am i glad its only your thoughts because you are ignorant of what white folk actually are doing, everyday...that'expensive meal is actually R300 and once a month only...any whites who spend R1000 on a bottle of wine plus an expensive each meal every weekend are super rich elite like their black brothers. when the R2100 i pay my housekeeper is tax deductable then she is welcome to a bit more - i will share the deduction. helper to clean the house from going out budget? whats going up your nose? what going out budget? the kind of help you mention is exactly the type that susses out your home and returns with 'friends' to really help clean you out - forget that! not that many whites own shares in banks and large corporations - fact is most are foriegn owned, the rest of us, even highly skilled like me, are just making a basic living...theres no money to even invest in retirement at the present time!! church groups mostly white do a massive amount of work in the poor communities - you just dont hear about it. do you know why whites dont march alongside them - its simple, whites are excluded from all things in SA via BBBEE, AA, etc and of course simple racist views of anc and ancyl, etc. whites are not allowed to be part of the solution unless its saying - hey, here have all i've got because my or somebodys forefathers 'stole' it from you.....YOU NEED BETTER IDEAS THAN THAT!
aNON el politico, wrote
@eric...boy am i glad its only your thoughts because you are ignorant of what white folk actually are doing, everyday...that'expensive meal is actually R300 and once a month only...any whites who spend R1000 on a bottle of wine plus an expensive each meal every weekend are super rich elite like their black brothers. when the R2100 i pay my housekeeper is tax deductable then she is welcome to a bit more - i will share the deduction. helper to clean the house from going out budget? whats going up your nose? what going out budget? the kind of help you mention is exactly the type that susses out your home and returns with 'friends' to really help clean you out - forget that! not that many whites own shares in banks and large corporations - fact is most are foriegn owned, the rest of us, even highly skilled like me, are just making a basic living...theres no money to even invest in retirement at the present time!! church groups mostly white do a massive amount of work in the poor communities - you just dont hear about it. do you know why whites dont march alongside them - its simple, whites are excluded from all things in SA via BBBEE, AA, etc and of course simple racist views of anc and ancyl, etc. whites are not allowed to be part of the solution unless its saying - hey, here have all i've got because my or somebodys forefathers 'stole' it from you.....YOU NEED BETTER IDEAS THAN THAT!
JR, wrote
What right do "marshalls" have to stop other citizens going where they want? What, are they are afraid of the people finding out that the limp is because he probably has goute from all the expensive red wines he consumes?
gw, wrote
Perhaps ANCYL should try working for their economic freedom instead of demanding it on a sliver platter. And as far as wanting what the whites have - I'm white and I don't have nearly the wealth that Malema has. Maybe he should share too
Billy Bob, wrote
As a white man, I am fully behind Malema! What he is doing is wonderful and I love him.
drew, wrote
@Eric. While I agree with most of what you have said I think you'll find that most of us can see that nationalisation of mines is not the answer. The road to ecomonic freedom is education. If Malema was marching for better education for all rather than things that make no economic sense and are in fact causing slowing down of overseas investment in our country then you may find more of us joining the march. (Unfortunately we do actually need this investment money.)
@Eric, wrote
Some valid points there. It's such a pity that a man like malema is leading the ancyl rather than someone who thinks more like you.
Juan, wrote
People protest against a government they voted for, and next election vote for that same corrupt government and woner why they are still poor.. But somehow the previous government gets the blame.
HP, wrote
Sando @ 10:40. Thankfully most youths eventually grow up. When you do, ponder on the naivity of having supported a fatcat meglamaniac whose only real interest is gaining power and therefore money, at the expense of the very people he claims to support. Malema is a dangerous and racist fool who is using youth unemployment to cynically exploit "the masses". Even COSATU sees him for what he really is.
Khehla, wrote
@Erick, people like you are giving us hope and your comment shows that you have a very good understanding of blak people. Yes, most of us are uneducated and because of that, we are easly manipulate, fooled and lied to. However, some of us know very well that not all whites are enemies. We need whites as they need us. Let us work together for the sake of our kids and for the sake of this beautiful country. God loves all of us, perhaps its time to ask for the devine intervention. Let us invite God to save our country and our youth.
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