The DA march clearly shows two different visions for South Africa

The Democratic Alliance Youth march on COSATU House today highlights precisely the two visions that exist for South Africa. The DA Youth expressed its voice today by marching in solidarity with all unemployed South Africans, and in particular on behalf of unemployed youth whose chances of finding work are being blocked by COSATU. Basically the march was about jobs and how COSATU is ensuring that hundreds of thousands of people remain unemployed. Additionally, the DA Youth demonstrated support for the Youth Wage Subsidy which COSATU has blocked at  Nedlac. 

From the very beginning when this march was announced the DA unambiguously stated that the march would be a peaceful one and that all it wanted to do was express its constitutional and democratic right of expression.  

On the other hand, COSATU threatened violence and declared that this was “open political warfare” and that they would mobilise their members to “meet” the DA at COSATU House. COSATU hates the fact that the DA is highlighting its indefensible hypocritical opposition to the Youth Wage Subsidy.

The DA however is more resolute than ever to stand up for the right of all South Africans find employment and to enter into the economy.

Today’s march thus demonstrated to us the different visions that COSATU has for South Africa as opposed to the one that the DA has. Whilst COSATU staged an illegal gathering outside of COSATU House, the DA had permission to have theirs. Whilst COSATU threatened violence, the DA promised peace and order. COSATU wants to ensure that people remain unemployed; the DA wants people to get jobs. COSATU threw rocks at DA members whilst countless numbers of these members were rushed to hospital because they had been physically hurt by rock-throwing COSATU members.

The DA simply wanted to express its right of free speech and expression, like the old apartheid police COSATU didn’t like that. The DA has a vision of a growing economy where more jobs are created, COSATU doesn’t want that.

These are the two visions that exists – that of a retarded backward looking vision with minimal growth and little employment prospects, generally adopted by the ANC, and that of a future of growth where more and more people have job opportunities.