The people march to remove an 'elevated crook'

Thousands of South Africans took to the streets this week to show how they felt about their president.

JOHANNESBURG

After the 1994 elections Nani Ndlazulwana trekked from Cofimvaba in the Eastern Cape in search of a better life.

On Friday the 53-year-old woke at 3am for a different trek: she was determined to take part in the street protests against President Jacob Zuma.

“I’m here because after the ANC took power we were all very happy because we knew that it’s for our betterment,” she said during the DA march in central Johannesburg on Friday. 

“Zuma now is destroying all those gains. He must go.”

Ndlazulwana was one of tens of thousands of protesters across the country who took to the streets in numbers not seen since the 1980s.

They had one unifying cause: the removal of Zuma from office.

Their anger erupted after Zuma’s “night of the long knives” last week when he fired finance minister Pravin Gordhan and his deputy, Mcebisi Jonas, among others.

The recall of the two respected politicians sparked outrage from opposition parties, civil society organisations and even some ANC stalwarts.

It also led to downgrades of the economy by two ratings agencies.

Another protester, Anna Mokome from Ekurhuleni, said she felt “ill-treated” by the government.

“They treat us like outsiders. I’ve been a volunteer in my community for more than 10 years and Zuma is busy looting money. I pray to God that Zuma steps down. He is ignorant and selfish. He doesn’t think about other people but himself and his family.”

Members of the clergy, SaveSA members and labour unions were also visible at the protest.

Addressing the crowd, Federation of Unions of South Africa general secretary Dennis George referred to the downgrading of the economy to junk status. “We are being downgraded because of his actions. These things are going to affect you personally as South Africans because it will also destroy jobs. We must all unite.” 

Thousands of demonstrators mostly clad in the blue of the DA marched to Mary Fitzgerald Square in Newtown chanting “Voetsek corruption, voetsek”.  

Bradley Wickham said he was worried about the future of the country if Zuma remained at the helm.

“I am here for change. I’ve realised staying at home and just observing will not do anything.”

PRETORIA

At the Union Buildings in Pretoria former Cosatu chief Zwelinzima Vavi owned up to his part in propelling Zuma to power, admitting that he had made a mistake.

“We made a mistake in elevating a crook who was facing 783 charges,” said Vavi.

Vavi was addressing about 25,000 marchers on the lawns of the Union Buildings, in a demonstration organised by SaveSA.

DURBAN

In Durban, Russell Swanepoel, who grew up in Zimbabwe, said he had seen the erosion of democracy first-hand and that “all of this has played out before”. It was this feeling of ominous nostalgia that prompted him to take part in  the DA-led march in Durban on Friday, Swanepoel said.

“The bottom line for me was having seen this all play out in Zimbabwe before where politicians start pushing boundaries and testing their powers.”

He said people in government had started prioritising themselves over the people. 

“I wanted to make it known as a citizen that it was not OK to let this continue.”

CAPE TOWN

South Africans of all races gathered to call for Zuma’s head, defying predictions that protesters would be overwhelmingly white and middle class.

An estimated 12,000 people marched from various points in the Cape Town city centre and converged on parliament’s doorstep. Among the protesters were Adriaan Hellenberg and his wife, Stacey, who took leave from work to take part and brought their eight-month-old baby. 

Organisers climbed on railings guarding the precincts of parliament to address the thousands of people crowding the streets.  

They declared that Friday’s protests were the birth of a greater mass movement.

“The march, as magnificent as it is, is about mobilising people, like many of you did back in the 1980s,” said SaveSA member Lawson Naidoo.

“Back then we all came together for each other, not just when it affected us in our pockets.”

Another organiser, Melissa Smith, also dubbed it the “people’s march”.

 “All of us are unaffiliated citizens coming together to set an example for the rest of the country,” Smith said.

 “We cannot hide behind social media any longer. We have to start making things happen here and now.”