Suburban Johannesburgers picket for President Zuma to go

07 April 2017 - 11:16 By Roxanne Henderson
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Protesters gather outside parliament on Friday to vent their anger at President Jacob Zuma's midnight purge of cabinet ministers, including minister of finance Pravin Gordhan.
Protesters gather outside parliament on Friday to vent their anger at President Jacob Zuma's midnight purge of cabinet ministers, including minister of finance Pravin Gordhan.
Image: RUVAN BOSHOFF

Residents across Johannesburg have crept out of bed on a rainy Friday morning with a strong message for President Jacob Zuma - it's time for him to go.

In the north of Johannesburg‚ neighbourhood groups stood on pavements along key routes holding placards‚ their clenched fists raised‚ as passing motorists hooted in support of their cause.

Some placards read: "Zuma get OUTA here‚" and "Our country and our souls are not for sale! ANC you sold out SA. ANC = GNC. Gupta National Congress".

In suburban Blairgowrie‚ protesters lined a busy Conrad Drive and Jan Smuts Avenue. For many of the neighbourhood's residents the local demonstration is just the beginning of a long day of marches.

"This is an important moment. The values on which we found our democracy can be reasserted and reclaimed. From here I'm going to Pretoria‚" said resident Feizel Mamdoo.

"We need to protect our democracy. One of the ways we can do this is to get Zuma to resign. Zuma needs to stop corrupting our democratic state."

Blairgowrie residents have organised food parcels for those that will gather in Pretoria's Church Square to occupy Treasury‚ Mamdoo said.

"This was organised spontaneously by residents and it's just grown. It's not only about the big national marches but also the little ones that show the overwhelming sentiment that Zuma must go."

  • Protest 101 for white people on #blackfriday - a satirical survival guide for marchersGeneral Council of the Bar chairperson Vuyani Ngalwana SC has shared a satirical list of do’s and don’ts for people planning to march in protest against President Jacob Zuma on Friday. 

West Rand business owner Shelley Marsh has closed her mentoring consultancy to allow staff to hit the streets.

"Zuma has been taking control of this country year by year. We've been asking for him to resign for about six years and the time has come. He's captured the Treasury now so it's a downhill slide. My business will suffer‚ everyone's businesses will suffer. He needs to see that everyone is standing together. It's not black‚ it's not white‚" she said.

For Mamdoo claims that Friday's marches are for the middle class are simply attempts to distract from the issues at stake.

"There are all kinds of narratives to undermine this cause‚ but the support overall is there."

  • High Court interdicts Durban mayor over Black Friday protest threatThe KwaZulu-Natal High Court has granted an urgent interdict against eThekwini mayor Zandile Gumede‚ after she threatened that people who march against President Jacob Zuma on Friday would be arrested‚ referring to planned protests as being acts of treason.

Two 14-year-olds held up placards for Zuma to resign but admitted they were just there because their parents dragged them along. When asked what the march was about one said‚ "I have no idea‚" while the other said‚ "Someone got fired and Jacob Zuma is stealing all the money".

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