Tshwane gears up for big march

Tshwane metro police department says officers will be out in full force on Friday to maintain law and order during the anticipated march by dismissed security guards and “Vat Alles” workers.

The ANC Youth League will also be staging a march despite the metro police saying its march would be illegal.

Tshwane metro police spokesperson Nonhlanhla Mgiba said the only approved march was that of a group called “All Tshwane Vat Alles Employees”‚ scheduled to start at 8am from Burgers Park to Tshwane municipality headquarters and disperse at 1pm.

She said any other march would be treated as an illegal action‚ adding that metro police would be spread along the march route to maintain order.

“…the TMPD has noted information doing the rounds about another protest action by African National Congress Youth League (ANCYL) scheduled for Friday 26 January 2018. This alleged protest is said to be coming from various points within the jurisdiction of the City of Tshwane proceeding to the CBD of Pretoria‚” Mgiba said.

She said no application was received from ANCYL as dictated by the law and that the publicised march would be treated as illegal.

Mgiba said TMPD officers would be out there‚ monitoring the march‚ and would be joined by other law enforcement agencies.

The ANCYL in Tshwane said their march was going ahead as planned and that they had complied with all section 205 requirements for a march.

The party said in a statement they would march in the spirit of the defiance campaign and peaceful protest instilled in them by their forebears.

“… we will carry out the march and protest in the same spirit of the defiance campaign‚ without any form of anarchy. We urge members of the public to disregard the statement released by the DAEFF [DA/EFF] municipality which its aim is to demobilise our people. We are very much confident that the language of protest is best understood by the DAEFF-lead administration that is committed to purging black workers‚” the organisation said in a statement.

From Burgers Park‚ the march will proceed down Lilian Ngoyi Street to Tshwane House on the corner of Lillian Ngoyi Street and Madiba Street‚ passing the following intersections: Visagie Street‚ Nana Sita Street‚ Francis Baard street and Pretorius Street.