Pretoria - Traffic in the Pretoria CBD is expected to come to a standstill from 10am on Friday, when thousands of ANC supporters march to Tshwane House in a bid to “reclaim the City of Tshwane”.
Marchers are scheduled to assemble at the old Putco depot in Marabastad in the morning, before their departure from Struben Street, down to Thabo Sehume and Johannes Ramokhoase streets.
As a result of the march, motorists have been asked to avoid affected streets such as Kgosi Mampuru II, Madiba, Bosman, Sophie De Bruyn, Johannes Ramokhoase, Lillian Ngoyi, Struben, Thabo Sehume and Paul Kruger streets so as not to be caught up.
They can expect traffic to be negatively affected as marchers walk past different road intersections in huge numbers.
City officials said streets that could be used as alternative routes are Du Toit, Boom, Francis Baard, Bloed and Nelson Mandela Drive.
Motorists can also use Es'kia Mphahlele Drive to avoid being caught up, said Tshwane Metro Police Department spokesperson, Senior Superintendent Isaac Mahamba.
He said: “From the gathering point, marchers will proceed on Struben Street, turn right onto Sophie De Bruyn Street, turn left onto Madiba Street, proceed on Madiba Street until they reach Tshwane House between Sisulu Street and Lillian Ngoyi Street.”
He said metro police officers would be deployed to monitor the march and all affected streets.
“Marchers are expected to disperse from Tshwane House at 2pm,” he added.
ANC secretary-general Fikile Mbalula will lead the march under the banner #BuyaTshwane people's campaign.
During the gathering at Tshwane House, ANC supporters are expected to highlight a number of service delivery failures under the DA-led coalition government since 2016.
On Wednesday, when he addressed community members in Mamelodi, Mbalula told journalists that the campaign would mobilise Tshwane residents to work together with the ANC to reclaim the city, and bring about a better life to all people in the metro.
“Our councillors are chased and their houses are burnt down because communities think that it is them who don’t bring service to them. They go to the council and the DA coalition doesn’t listen to them. They bulldoze them because they have the majority.”
In reaction, DA Gauteng leader Solly Msimanga said it was "laughable" that the ANC wanted to be a saviour for the problems they caused in Tshwane.
According to him, when the DA took over Tshwane it was a bankrupt municipality inherited from the ANC.
The march coincides with a special council sitting at Tshwane House for the purpose of the election of the executive mayor of the City of Tshwane.
The metro has been without a mayor and moving from one crisis to another in recent months.
Former Cope councillor Dr Murunwa Makwarela resigned last week amid allegations that he falsified his insolvency rehabilitation certificate. Individuals who have been declared insolvent are not allowed to hold a public office.
Makwarela had been mayor for less than a week, having been elected with the support of the EFF and ANC following the resignation of Randall Williams. He had controversially broken ranks with the DA-led coalition when he accepted nomination for the position of mayor.
On Monday, Mncedi Ndzwanana of the ATM was elected as Speaker of council of the City of Tshwane during another special council, again with the support of the EFF and ANC.
Pretoria News