Instead of the expected 14 000 ANCYL members, only about 5 000 eventually rocked up for the Cape Town march yesterday. They were protesting for “economic freedom against the provincial government in the Western Cape.” The lack of actual protesters was blamed on “transport issues.” The rest of the day did not go any better.

The ANCYL marched to the Western Cape government and demanded Premier Helen Zille accept their demands over service delivery. She did so, but was left severely unimpressed. In a statement sent to 2oceansvibe yesterday afternoon, she said she views the ANCYL’s “flagrant disregard” of the stipulations set out in the march approval in terms of the Gatherings Act as “a grave disappointment”.

Check out the comedy of errors, below:

Informed by the need to ensure public safety and a safe route for the march, the stipulations set by the South African Police Services and the City of Cape Town, were that the participants should assemble at Keizersgracht from 10h00 onwards on Monday morning. The march was to commence no later than 11h00 from Keizersgracht along Darling Street, left into Adderley Street, and then to the Provincial buildings in Wale Street.

However, part of the group (3 000) gathered at the incorrect location this morning, i.e. at the Salt River Station instead of Keizersgracht. An additional 2 000 individuals joined this group from Keizersgracht just after 12h00 and were consolidated into one group by the South African Police Service before proceeding. In addition the procession did not adhere to the time-frames stipulated in the application and delayed the start of their march procession.

Below is some footage, as well as a picture gallery of all the excitement. My favourite image is the one of the poster, requesting Helen Zille “to go back to Germany.”

[Source: News24]