Johannesburg - The DA's plan to march to the ANC's headquarters in Johannesburg is an election stunt and an act of pure opportunism, Cosatu said on Friday.
“The march will achieve absolutely nothing for the young workers on whose behalf they claim to be demonstrating,” Congress of SA Trade Unions (Cosatu) spokesman Patrick Craven said in a statement.
He said the Democratic Alliance always spoke for the rich and powerful, who dominated the country's economy.
Craven said the DA's policies were not in the interest of the poor or the worker, and would make life worse for young, unemployed people.
On Wednesday, DA leader Helen Zille said she would lead 6000 of her party's supporters in a march to Luthuli House in the Johannesburg CBD on February 4 to take the “fight for jobs” to the African National Congress.
She said each DA supporter would represent 1 000 unemployed people.
“We are taking the fight to Luthuli House to highlight the failure of (President) Jacob Zuma's ANC to cut corruption and create jobs.”
Zille said the DA would expose the ANC manifesto pledge of creating six million job opportunities as “bogus”.
In response, ANC spokesman Jackson Mthembu said the DA was provoking the ruling party.
On Thursday, the SA Communist Party described the march as an attack on the ANC.
“The... provocative march to Luthuli House should be viewed as a desperate action by an opposition party that has realised it does not stand to win elections,” said spokesman Alex Mashilo.
The ANC Youth League warned the DA not to march to Luthuli House.
“(This) will be a direct provocation of more than 400 000 members of the ANC Youth League who will defend it at any time of the day,” said national convenor Mzwandile Masina.
He said the DA would face the anger of ANCYL members and the Progressive Youth Alliance should it dare to march to Luthuli House. - Sapa