Cape Town march showdown: 'Voetsek‚ man!' vs 'Amnesty se gat!'

The Cape Town CBD has been split down the middle. ANC supporters chanting President Jacob Zuma’s praises started marching from the Grand Parade in the morning. At the same time‚ opposition parties‚ who marched from Keizersgracht Street‚ are calling for his downfall. 

The two groups are set to meet at the gates of Parliament.

Hundreds of police officers have been deployed to keep the peace in the streets of the Mother City.

ANC supporters‚ dressed in the party's colours‚ sang: "Voetsek‚ man! Fokof‚ man! Leave Msholozi alone.''

The city has granted the ANC's Dullah Omar Region a permit for 10 000 marchers. They started filling into the Grand Parade after 10:00 as a van blared Zuma’s trademark Mshini Wam’ (bring me my machine gun) song. By 11:30 buses filled with ANC supporters were still streaming into the CBD.

But opposition parties beat them to it. DA supporters in blue had gathered at Keizersgracht parking lot early in the morning‚ alongside EFF‚ Cope‚ FF Plus and UDM comrades for their “Fire Zuma” march. This group has also been granted permission for 10 000 marchers.

One protestor told TimesLIVE: "I am here to see Zuma off. I saw a great poster saying: The people have come to say goodbye.'

"I was here in April for the ZumaMustFall [protest]. I am here today to see that it happens.''

At one stage a group of DA supporters passed ANC members and sang: "These are thieves''.

The ANC supporters retaliated: "Maimane is a dog."

The "Fire Zuma" protestors brandished hundreds of posters. One read: "Amnesty se gat - Go straight to jail."

Another said: "A yes vote for Zuma is treason.''

There were almost no posters among the pro-Zuma group.

Instead‚ they were dancing‚ singing and waving a few South African flags.

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