Thousands of DA supporters marched through the central business district of Johannesburg yesterday in protest against what they said was the government’s failure to address unemployment.The party estimated between 15000 and 20000 people participated in the march‚ which managed to avoid the confrontation and violence that has characterised similar DA marches in the centre of Johannesburg.
DA leader Mmusi Maimane‚ flanked by mayoral candidates for key metros in the forthcoming polls, addressed the party supporters beneath a vandalised DA billboard on Sauer Street.
The billboard had included a live ticker of the number of unemployed people in South Africa‚ which the opposition party maintains reflects a growing job crisis under President Jacob Zuma.
Addressing the crowd‚ Maimane said the fact that the billboard had been erected only 22 days ago and had since been vandalised was reflective of the ANC’s approach to politics‚ and put the blame for the job crisis squarely on President Zuma.
Stressing issues of equal access to education, Maimane called for change and repeated the phrase “change that brings jobs‚ change that bring freedom‚ change that brings opportunity”.
Both the DA’s mayoral candidate for Tshwane‚ Solly Msimanga‚ and the newly minted DA mayoral candidate for Johannesburg, Herman Mashaba‚ used their addresses to emphasise the attraction of investment alongside a climate conducive to small business.
DA mayoral candidate for Nelson Mandela Bay Metro Athol Trollip, meanwhile, accused the ANC of falling back on racial issues in its attack against the opposition.
Unemployment stands at more than 25%, with the number rising to nearly 40% including those who have given up looking for work.
“We want to make job creation a new national cause,” Maimane said.
The rand has hit new record lows against the dollar this year, reflecting the country’s growing economic troubles as commodity prices fall, growth slows and investors lose confidence.
The DA’s campaign centres on its claim that about 770 South Africans become jobless every day, a statistic described as “misleading” by Africa Check, a fact-checking website.
It said the figure did not include newly created jobs, miscalculated the number of those who had given up looking for work, and used two different unemployment surveys. — BDlive-AFP
Thousands join DA march in protest over job losses
The party estimated between 15000 and 20000 people participated in the march‚ which managed to avoid the confrontation and violence that has characterised similar DA marches in the centre of Johannesburg.
DA leader Mmusi Maimane‚ flanked by mayoral candidates for key metros in the forthcoming polls, addressed the party supporters beneath a vandalised DA billboard on Sauer Street.
The billboard had included a live ticker of the number of unemployed people in South Africa‚ which the opposition party maintains reflects a growing job crisis under President Jacob Zuma.
Addressing the crowd‚ Maimane said the fact that the billboard had been erected only 22 days ago and had since been vandalised was reflective of the ANC’s approach to politics‚ and put the blame for the job crisis squarely on President Zuma.
Stressing issues of equal access to education, Maimane called for change and repeated the phrase “change that brings jobs‚ change that bring freedom‚ change that brings opportunity”.
Both the DA’s mayoral candidate for Tshwane‚ Solly Msimanga‚ and the newly minted DA mayoral candidate for Johannesburg, Herman Mashaba‚ used their addresses to emphasise the attraction of investment alongside a climate conducive to small business.
DA mayoral candidate for Nelson Mandela Bay Metro Athol Trollip, meanwhile, accused the ANC of falling back on racial issues in its attack against the opposition.
Unemployment stands at more than 25%, with the number rising to nearly 40% including those who have given up looking for work.
“We want to make job creation a new national cause,” Maimane said.
The rand has hit new record lows against the dollar this year, reflecting the country’s growing economic troubles as commodity prices fall, growth slows and investors lose confidence.
The DA’s campaign centres on its claim that about 770 South Africans become jobless every day, a statistic described as “misleading” by Africa Check, a fact-checking website.
It said the figure did not include newly created jobs, miscalculated the number of those who had given up looking for work, and used two different unemployment surveys. — BDlive-AFP
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