Pule Mabe clears the air on ANC's stance on national shutdown amid ongoing load-shedding

Outgoing ANC spokesperson Pule Mabe has cleared the air on the ANC's stance on a national shutdown as load-shedding continues, saying the ruling party never called for a shutdown. 

This comes after it was reported on Wednesday the ANC was calling for a national shutdown, with many, including the Organisation Undoing Tax Abuse (Outa), saying it was a joke. 

Speaking on Newzroom Afrika, Mabe said the reports were not true and slammed calls for national shutdowns in protest against load-shedding by opposition political parties. 

“It cannot be that when others are trying so hard to push the organisation back even with the efforts we are putting to convey a positive message and reassure people government is doing everything else possible to attend to [load-shedding] and then comes out misleading headlines,” said Mabe. 

“Headlines saying the ANC is calling for a national shutdown effectively suggest that we want to enact from responsibility ourselves, we do not want to participate in finding a solution and a party that is in government we've been effectively liquidated,” he added. 

Earlier this week, the ANC Youth League (ANCYL) warned the DA against marching to Luthuli House over load-shedding.

The league accused the official opposition of “using the unfortunate national crisis” to score cheap political points through “senseless theatrics” by announcing a march to the party's headquarters.

The DA announced it is planning a march to Luthuli House in central Johannesburg on January 25 to voice outrage at the “ANC-engineered electricity crisis”.

The ANCYL said the governing party like millions of South Africans was calling for an end to load-shedding.

“We want to issue a stern warning to the DA that should they continue with their planned march, they will find us there.”

EFF leader Julius Malema said the DA should avoid marching to Luthuli house.

“A party shouldn’t march to another party. In case you are not good with direction, the seat of power is at the Union Buildings, not Luthuli House. Be warned,” Malema said.

DA youth leader Nicholas Nyati said the party would not be deterred from marching on January 25. Nyati blamed the ANC for worsening load-shedding.

“The crisis we face as a country is due to the incompetence of the ANC, the cancer that is cadre deployment and, unfortunately, the future fat cats who are waiting for their turn to loot, who identify themselves as the youth league,” he said.

“Any youth-loving person would understand that no business can thrive in an environment that does not have a permanent power supply. Any youthful person would understand that there is no economy that would grow under these circumstances.”

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