THE last leg of an ANC Youth League "economic freedom" march was under way last night, with scattered groups peacefully continuing the walk from Johannesburg to Pretoria. Others followed in hundreds of buses and minibus taxis. Several ambulances were also part of the procession.

A large police contingent was waiting for their arrival at the Caledonian Stadium in Pretoria. By 8.30pm, ANC Youth League members were on the R101 Old Pretoria Road in Midrand.

The third leg of the march, from the Johannesburg Stock Exchange, started around 6pm, with leader Julius Malema leading the crowd on foot.

Several people were seen alternating between walking and hopping onto buses and taxis following the group, while the more brave were walking and singing on their 50km trek to Pretoria.

Johannesburg metro police cars followed, while police ensured no marchers got onto the M1 North highway from Marlboro Drive in Sandton.

In Pretoria, two television stations had arrived with vans for satellite broadcasts at the Caledonian Stadium, where a night vigil was to be held ahead of the handing over a memorandum to the presidency at the Union Buildings this morning.

Portable toilets and a stage had been set up while security staff were dotted around the stadium.

Earlier, Malema handed a memorandum of grievances to the Chamber of Mines in Johannesburg's city centre, before marching to the JSE in Sandton.

The weary marchers had a brief rest before resuming their walk to Pretoria, although a large number dispersed while others boarded buses and taxis.

Many of them had begun gathering from 5am in Beyers Naudé Square in the Johannesburg CBD. They only began walking at noon.

Led by Malema, police cars, four Casspirs and a water cannon, the group sang and danced through the CBD. Chamber of Mines chief executive Bheki Sibiya undertook to distribute the memorandum to its 55 members.

The league wanted the nationalisation of mines and introduction of probation programmes within companies to give youth skills in mining. - Sapa