JOHANNESBURG - Clashes occurred on Wednesday as South Africa's largest opposition party attempted to protest near the ruling party's headquarters here.

The brick-carrying supporters of the ruling African National Congress (ANC) stormed the march launched by the largest opposition party Democratic Alliance (DA) in central Johannesburg, the South African Press Association (SAPA) reported.

The ANC supporters hurled bricks at the DA members, who had to stop the march to the ANC headquarters for "real jobs” after police warned that it was too dangerous for the DA to continue its march. Many police officers have been deployed to maintain the order of the city. A group of the ANC supporters threw petrol bombs at police, who fired stun grenades at the ANC supporters as they run towards the DA marchers, the report said.

ANC spokesperson Jackson Mthembu said the gathering of the ANC members in town was merely trying to protect the ruling party's headquarters, stressing the ruling party had asked its members to refrain from carrying bricks. On Friday, President Jacob Zuma announced that the fifth national general elections in South Africa will be held in May.

The last voter registration was conducted over the weekend. The upcoming general elections will pick the new parliament and president. The fourth general elections after the apartheid ended in 1994 was held in April 2009. ANC leader Zuma was sworn in as president of South Africa in May.

Xinhua