ANCYL members party after epic march

2011-10-28 07:19

Johannesburg - ANC Youth League members arrived at their Pretoria destination in the early hours of Friday morning, after a day-long "economic freedom" march from Johannesburg.

ANC Youth League leader Julius Malema lead from the front, himself walking most of the 50km trip, barring a few breaks on a truck.

The walk from Sandton to Tshwane, along the R101 Old Pretoria Road, took eight hours.

Marchers streamed into the Caledonian Stadium in Pretoria from about 01:00 and seemed ready to party despite the long walk.

A stage was set up on the stadium field where local DJs and rap artists performed for the crowd, who sang and danced along to the music.

An ANCYL official announced over the hailers that marchers should move to the food area to collect something to eat.

They were given bread rolls and juice. There were also hawkers selling chicken and steak.

One of the marchers who had walked the whole way from Sandton in her stiletto heels said she was relieved to have arrived.

"I made it," she said smiling.

Night vigil

Marchers were greeted by a large police contingent at the stadium, where a night vigil was to be held ahead of the handing over of a memorandum to the Presidency at the Union Buildings at 10:00 on Friday morning.

Portable toilets and a stage had been set up while security staff in fluorescent jackets were dotted around the stadium.

Some of the marchers had fallen asleep in cars as well as on a nearby lawn, pavements and stadium chairs.

On Thursday, Malema handed over a memorandum of grievances to the Chamber of Mines in Johannesburg's city centre, before marching to the Johannesburg Stock Exchange in Sandton.

The weary marchers had a brief rest before resuming their walk to Pretoria, although a large number dispersed while others boarded buses and taxis.

Many of them had begun gathering from 05:00 in Beyers Naude Square in the Johannesburg CBD. They only began walking at noon, four hours later than planned due to transport problems.

Led by Malema, police cars, four Casspirs and a water cannon, the group sang and danced through the CBD.

Chamber of Mines CEO Bheki Sibiya undertook to distribute the memorandum to its 55 members.

"We understand that the level of unemployment is too high and we agree with the youth league that the level of poverty is too high," he said.

The league wanted the nationalisation of mines and the introduction of probation programmes within companies to give youth skills in mining.

Malema urged supporters to exercise "maximum discipline" during their "long walk to economic freedom".

"Take your time and walk. We have the whole day and night. You must not run," he said. "We [the leadership] are coming to march with you because we are all from poor backgrounds."

Freedom

Some of the placards carried by marchers read: "The real freedom is economic not parliamentary. Free my people."

Another, bearing slain Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi's picture, read: "We salute anti-imperialist martyr Gaddafi".

Others read: "90 percent of the economy is still in the hands of the minority" and "Malema we must stand by you through thick and thin."

When the group reached the JSE, Malema chanted: "Down with white capital monopoly. The people who are stealing our wealth must come on stage."

An official from the JSE received the memorandum from Malema, saying only: "Thank you for the opportunity. We will take your demands to the executive."

In response, some members of the crowd sang Dubul'ibhunu (shoot the boer), which was declared hate speech by a court.

The last mass action by ANCYL members happened outside Luthuli House in central Johannesburg at the start of Malema's disciplinary hearing last month. Youth league members threw rocks, bottles and bricks at journalists and police, and burnt ANC flags and t-shirts with pictures of President Jacob Zuma printed on them.

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- SAPA