Zuma supporters muster for the President's birthday bash

12 April 2017 - 18:32 By Jan Bornman
subscribe Just R20 for the first month. Support independent journalism by subscribing to our digital news package.
Subscribe now
President Jacob Zum. File photo
President Jacob Zum. File photo
Image: Twitter/Kyle Cowan

As thousands of South Africans marched to the Union Buildings in Pretoria on Wednesday‚ African National Congress members from Pretoria made their way south to President Jacob Zuma's birthday bash.

At a filling station in Midrand‚ half a dozen mini-bus taxis from Pretoria and surrounds gathered as they waited for more ANC supporters to arrive.

  • Who has broken ranks with Zuma?As opposition parties have come together to protest against the reign of President Jacob Zuma‚ a growing number of the ANC’s own have also come out to tell the President that it is perhaps time he heeded the call of the people. 

Tshepo Motaung‚ chairperson of Mawiga‚ which comprises communities from Mokopana‚ Winterveld and Ga-Rankuwa‚ said they were waiting on about 200 more mini-bus taxis to arrive and take around 3‚000 residents of Tshwane to the birthday celebration.

  • ‘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. 

"For us‚ we are celebrating the birthday of the leader of the country and the leader of the organisation‚" he said. "And we are affirming that he is here to stay."

Regarding the mass protests in the administrative capital earlier on Wednesday‚ he said: "It's a democratic country. Everyone has got the right to protest and demonstrate. We are going to our president's birthday bash‚" he said.

  • '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. 

Motaung said they had hired mini-bus taxis to empower members of their community and because they were unsure how the bus strike would affect travel to the president's birthday celebrations.

TMG Digital/TimesLIVE

subscribe Just R20 for the first month. Support independent journalism by subscribing to our digital news package.
Subscribe now