Luthuli House ‘the original crime scene’, DA says at march over load-shedding

The DA took the fight for an end to load-shedding to the ANC’s headquarters on Wednesday, describing Luthuli House, the ruling ANC’s headquarters in Johannesburg, as a “crime scene” where decisions leading to the collapse of Eskom were taken.

Leaders of the official opposition, members and supporters marched from Mary Fitzgerald Square in Newtown to the Library Gardens where the party’s leaders addressed the crowd, many of whom had placards bearing slogans such as “Genoeg is genoeg” (Enough is enough) and “Cut ANC’s power”.

There was tight security in the vicinity, with several streets barricaded to prevent a clash between the DA and ANC Youth League (ANCYL) members who arrived to “defend” Luthuli House and redirect the DA to Megawatt Park, Eskom’s headquarters, north of Johannesburg.

DA Gauteng leader Solly Msimanga said the party would hold similar protests until the general election in 2024.

The energy crisis in Africa’s most industrialised economy has dented economic growth and resulted in numerous businesses having to close down, adding to an already high unemployment rate. Rolling blackouts implemented by state-owned Eskom has seen South Africans without electricity as long as 10 hours a day and are costing the economy billions of rand a day.

The DA’s mineral resources & energy shadow minister Kevin Mileham said the economy had “stagnated” as a result of load-shedding, adding that many of the utility’s ailing coal-fired power stations were held together “with chewing gum and spit”.

Mileham said the decision to march to Luthuli House was taken because the ANC’s the headquarters were the “original crime scene” were bad decisions were made.

DA leader John Steenhuisen said the energy crisis “is putting the entire economy at risk, putting people out of jobs and stealing economic growth. The more we sit back and take it, the more they’re going to laugh at us. They’ve abused us for far too long. Change is coming, fast and quick,” he added, referring to 2024 elections.

Full security

As the march progressed there were fears that DA and ANC supporters would clash. Armed private security personnel and officials from the SA Police Service, Joburg Metro Police Department and Gauteng provincial government had their hands full to avoid a confrontation.

Thabo Motlhatswi, and ANCYL member from the North West who was brandishing a sjambok, said : “Our message is clear. Luthuli House is not a playground. This is our pride and we will defend and protect it by any means possible.”

The youth league was there to “direct the DA to Megawatt Park, as Luthuli House doesn’t deal with energy issues”.

DA Eastern Cape leader and former Nelson Mandela Bay mayor, Nqaba Bhanga, said : “The leadership of the DA has taken the decision to take the fight over the energy crisis where it belongs. ANC corruption has collapsed Eskom ... Ramaphosa has failed to defend the interests of South Africans.”

ANCYL task team member Tlangi Mogale said it was unheard of that a political party could “decide to march to the headquarters of another political party”.

ANCYL convener Nonceba Mhlauli said the DA march is a “very misplaced, childish gimmick. The DA is failing to pick up dustbins in Tshwane yet they want to come here and play”.

Mhlauli said the ANC lekgotla at the weekend would look at ways of solving the energy crisis. “We’ll plan our own march to Eskom and come up with proposals to resolve the energy crisis,” she added.

mkentanel@businesslive.co.za