Angry ANC members have given President Jacob Zuma and top party leaders an ultimatum - reverse the appointment of Thoko Didiza as Tshwane mayoral candidate and retain current mayor Kgosientso Ramokgopa or "forget about our votes''. The ANC yesterday labelled the protesters "hooligans" as they took to the streets across the metro, burning and looting. Residents in Atteridgeville, Soshanguve and Mamelodi said their votes in the coming elections would only be cast if the ANC reversed its decision on Didiza.WAR ZONE: Atteridgeville has become a battle field as mobs run amok. Picture: EYEWITNESS NEWSLast night violence continued. Protesters looted the Denneboom Centre in Mamelodi and roads into the township were blockaded.Senior ANC leaders visited the trouble spots and tried to persuade supporters to accept the party's executive decision. Ramokgopa said "there must be an appreciation of ANC processes".Ramokgopa, accompanied by ANC national executive member Aaron Motsoaledi and provincial chairman Paul Mashatile, met angry residents in Atteridgeville."Listen to us or lose our votes," shouted residents as Ramokgopa tried to convince them to work with the ANC to find a solution. His message was drowned out by angry chants. Residents said they would vote for the DA rather than support Didiza. "No Sputla, no vote" became a war cry. "Sputla'' is Ramokgopa's nickname.The N1 outside Hammanskraal was blocked when protesters spilled onto the highway, torching a bus and a truck. On the N1 and N4 interchange authorities blocked the two highways as protesters stoned motorists.Roads to Atteridgeville, Mamelodi, Hammanskraal, Mabopane and Ga-Rankuwa were closed as protesters barricaded roads with burning tyres, tree branches and rubble.The trouble started on Sunday after the ANC announced senior member Didiza as its mayoral candidate. A party member was shot and killed as factions clashed.Motsoaledi said it was agreed with residents that their concerns would be tabled to the party's top leadership structure."Residents assured us that they are indeed ANC members and not hooligans. We asked them to behave like ANC members," he said.Protests spread to the Pretoria CBD.The Pretoria Bar was forced to close and advocates were sent home after warnings that looting was spreading. Metrorail suspended services late yesterday.Protesters barricaded main roads leading into the various townships.Police spokesman Noxolo Kweza last night said protesters were looting a mall in Mamelodi when live ammunition was fired."At this stage we don't know who was being shot at or if anyone was injured. We're investigating."Defence Minister Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula said the army would not be used as police had been deployed. She said the government would not allow anarchy in the capital."This is Pretoria, the capital city of South Africa. There is no way that law-enforcement agencies will allow the anarchy to continue as it has in the past 24 hours. We are not going to allow anarchists, hooligans and gangsters to take over what may be a legitimate concern of the communities."Political analyst Andre Duvenhage said the ANC's decision backfired badly."There is a lot of pressure on the ANC as an organisation and we are basically looking at an organisation that is on the verge of imploding. As a result we are picking up elements of violence and patterns of instability."Duvenhage said the ANC had been struggling with the transition from liberation movement to political party."Transparency is a big issue because it cannot be that you have a meeting and then appoint someone according to your own political agenda ... We are looking at leadership that literally has Mafia structures promoting their own interests within the party." He said the ANC is trying to shift the blame for the political unrest, claiming it is thuggery when in fact the issues are within the party."The ANC has no ability to differentiate between 'thugs' and its members and labelling them as thugs is a way for the ANC to shift blame onto someone else and blaming opposition parties for the problems. But there is no doubt that this is a problem within the ANC," said Duvenhage."They are fighting against each other and for the first time it is happening in the open. In the past we would know there are problems but this would happen behind doors and showed a relatively stable image."..