Organisers of pro and anti-Zuma protests not granted permission: JMPD

The Johannesburg Metro Police Department (JMPD) says none of the organisers of the pro and anti-Zuma marches were granted permission to hold protests outside Luthuli House on Monday.

“Nobody came to us to apply. We have no knowledge of the marches‚” said JMPD spokesperson Edna Mamonyane.

She said the JMPD has mobilised metro officers outside the ANC headquarters to “try and engage” organisers of the marches.

“We will try and make sure that traffic is not completely disrupted.”

The pro-Zuma protests are to be led by Black First Land First‚ while ANC members have said they will defend Luthuli House.

The protests follow reports that the ANC leadership had met with President Jacob Zuma at the weekend to ask him to resign. Reports suggested that Zuma had refused.

Lobby group Future SA on Sunday released an open letter‚ calling on ANC president Cyril Ramaphosa to ensure that Zuma does not deliver the State of the Nation Address on Thursday.