They marched with one objective - to get rid of Zuma

Johannesburg marketing consultant Reagan Mitchell appeared to be deep in thought as he watched a sea of people engulf the expansive Union Buildings lawns in Pretoria.

Standing alone right at the back of the massive crowd‚ not even deafening music blasting from large loudspeakers on a makeshift stage on a truck seemed to disturb the conversation the married 33-year-old father of two appeared to be having with himself.

Shaking his head‚ he appeared to snap out of thought and began pacing towards the gate on the south end of the lawns.

What exactly was going through his mind? He could not believe that he was part of “this historic‚ iconic and revolutionary moment”.

• If Zuma adopted me‚ I would be happy: Zuma supporterA patch of blonde hair in a sea of black African supporters stood out in a crowd of ANC supporters who were in Kliptown‚ Soweto on Wednesday to celebrate the birthday of President Jacob Zuma.

He had marched all the way from Church Square in the Pretoria city centre‚ with one objective: to unite with fellow South Africans for a better future and demand that President Jacob Zuma step down.

“The current impact of his (Zuma’s) cabinet reshuffle‚ the people who are going to be worst affected is not necessarily me‚ because I have a comfortable life‚ but the people who are going to be affected the most are the poorest of the poor‚” he said.

Mitchell braved the rain on a journey from Roodepoort to Church Square‚ despite hearing a radio weather forecast predicting torrential rains and thunderstorms for Pretoria.

• ‘If not wanting Zuma is racist‚ then we are proud racists’ - Malema"If not wanting Zuma is racist‚ then we are proud racists‚" EFF leader Julius Malema told an tens of thousands of marchers at the Union Buildings.

“It was pouring down and there were thunderstorm predictions from the weather forecast but I said you know what‚ people like myself who are determined to see change will go irrespective of the weather … what I see here is massive. I have never seen such a huge crowd‚ what I see here is amazing‚” he said.

His biggest problem with President Jacob Zuma's leadership is that it was self-indulging‚ self-serving and infested with cronyism.

Mitchell said if one aspired to be a great leader‚ that person must become a servant of the people and be people-centred.

He said that people put Zuma in a position of leadership because they had confidence in him but he had betrayed them.

• Gathering at Union Buildings likened in size to crowds at funerals of Hani and BikoThe march of opposition parties to the Union Building has been compared in stature to the funerals of Black Consciousness leader Bantu “Steve’ Biko and former SACP general secretary Chris Hani.

“What you (Zuma) have done instead‚ you have enriched yourself and you have enriched your family and you have enriched all your cronies and the worst is that the poorest of the poor are not benefiting from your administration‚” he said.

He pleaded with African National Congress (ANC) MPs to vote against Zuma in the coming vote of no confidence debate in Parliament.

If he had a chance to speak to Zuma‚ he would say: “Mr President‚ I am very disappointed in your leadership. Mr President‚ your decisions have been irrational. Mr President‚ you have been captured by the Guptas….”

Earlier at Church Square‚ 94-year-old Emily Mohapi was not about to be left out of the march to force Zuma out of office‚ despite battling with sore knees and leaning on her walking stick to get by.

• 'Msholozi‚ you have overstayed your welcome!' - IFPMkhuleko Hlengwa‚ leader of the IFP National Youth Brigade‚ has told the crowd gathered at the Union Buildings that President Jacob Zuma had overstayed his welcome.

The elderly woman from Protea South in Johannesburg left her home at 6am and got on the bus to Pretoria.

“I do not have a house. I live in a shack. I do not have water and none of my children are working. There is nothing to rejoice about this freedom. What I want to see now is Zuma gone because he is destroying instead of building our country‚” she said.

Opposition party leaders took turns sharing anti-Zuma sentiments with an estimated 30‚000 or more people gathered at the Union Buildings.

"If not wanting Zuma is racist‚ then we are proud racists‚" said Economic Freedom Fighters leader Julius Malema.

"We have united for the purpose of taking back our beautiful country‚” Malema said‚ adding that the office of the President belonged to the people and not to the ANC or Zuma.

• Opposition indaba mooted to get SA back on trackOpposition parties and civil society organisations look set to convene a summit to brainstorm ideas on how to put South Africa back on track.

He said there was no memorandum to hand over as Zuma “could not read”.

United Democratic Movement (UDM) leader‚ Bantu Holomisa‚ cited the country’s recent credit downgrades as one of the main reasons why he wanted Zuma to step down.

"Everyone will suffer. The rich will become poorer but worse‚ the poor will become poorer‚" he said.

He said that according to the ruling party‚ only Zuma was right - while the credit agencies‚ the Public Protector‚ the Constitutional Court and opposition parties were all misguided.

- TMG Digital/TimdesLIVE