South Africa’s official opposition party, the Democratic Alliance, on Saturday announced it is organizing a protest march “against the ANC-engineered electricity crisis” to its headquarters at Luthuli House in Johannesburg.
In a statement, the party said the march is scheduled for Wednesday the 25th of January 2023.
This announcement came after the National Energy Regulator of South Africa (NERSA) on Thursday granted Eskom an 18.65% tariff increase. A day before that, the State-owned power utility raised load shedding to Stage 6 due to “the breakdown of several generators” among other factors.
The DA is blaming the ANC’s system of cadre deployment, a policy it uses to centralize power in Luthuli House, as the main reason for Eskom’s failure to supply electricity.
“The DA’s protest will specifically target Luthuli House, because this is the scene of the crime that the ANC continues to perpetrate against the people of South Africa through permanent stage 6 load shedding and the latest 18.65% electricity tariff increase.
“It is at Luthuli House where, over the past three decades, the decisions were made to “deploy” the corrupt and incompetent cadres who plundered and destroyed Eskom.
“It is at Luthuli House that corrupt tenders were handed out, including for the ill-fated construction of the Medupi and Kusile power stations that have cost our country so dearly,” it said.
Party leader John Steenhuisen confirmed the news on twitter, and wrote: “Stage 6 load shedding has taken away your power. It is time to take away the ANC’s.”
I can announce that the DA is organising a major protest march to the ANC headquarters at Luthuli House in Johannesburg on 25 January against the ANC-engineered electricity crisis. Stage 6 load shedding has taken away your power. It is time to take away the ANC’s.
— John Steenhuisen MP (@jsteenhuisen) January 14, 2023
