DA to appeal JMPD decision to ban March for Six Million REAL Jobs

The DA was informed late today by the Johannesburg Metro Police Department that we will be prohibited from going ahead with our intended ‘March for Six Million REAL Jobs' in Johannesburg on Tuesday 4 February 2014.

We are not going to take this lying down. We have a constitutional right to assemble, demonstrate and picket if we so wish. Freedom of assembly and political expression is sacrosanct in our democracy and must be treated as such.

We fully intend to exercise our constitutional rights. Accordingly, we have approached our legal team to prepare an appeal to be lodged with the Magistrates Court in terms of the Regulation of Gatherings Act.

The DA submitted its application to march well before the stipulated fourteen day window period for permission. Since then, the JMPD has strung us along by delaying meetings, giving us verbal permission several times but refusing to put it in writing, and by placing every possible bureaucratic obstacle in our way.

During this time, the ANC's intimidation and threats of violence have been a constant noise in the background. We understand that the ANC's threat to deploy a 40,000 person strong ‘welcoming party' was a factor in the JMPD's decision. 

No political party in a democracy has the right to intimidate other parties or the police. The DA has a right to march peacefully. Instead of preventing the DA from marching, the JMPD should be acting against ANC's intended illegal and violent action.

We will continue to push for permission to march for six million REAL jobs. We are not deterred by the ANC's threats. We have every intention of going through with this march, but will do so responsibly, peacefully and within the law.

Statement issued by James Selfe MP, Chairperson of the DA Federal Executive, January 31 2014

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