A group of South African religious groups and trade organizations has met in Cape Town to organize against poverty and unemployment.
The group has been pulled together by South Africa's main trade union federation (COSATU) after several months of strikes and demonstrations against the government's economic policies.
The group, still unnamed, held its first meeting Monday. Its founding has inspired comparisons to the United Democratic Front, a political party formed two decades ago to fight apartheid. But the new group has not yet declared any intention to become a political party.
The group's organizers say they intend to fight for better public services and lower unemployment, which is currently higher than 25 percent.
A spokesman for the ruling ANC party, James Ngculu, ANC Chairman in the Western Cape region, told Reuters news service the new group should leave such work to the government.
Some information for this report provided by Reuters.