Thousands of South Africans sent a strong message against President Jacob Zuma and corruption yesterday in mass marches around the country.
In Cape Town, “Zuma Must Fall” was spray-painted onto the walls of parliament – and not removed for hours – and a massive “Zuma Must Fall” banner was left fastened unscathed to the parliamentary fence on the corner of Wale and Adderley streets in the city centre.
In Johannesburg, more than 1000 people marched across the Nelson Mandela Bridge in Newtown calling for the removal of Zuma and societal activism against government corruption.
Zuma’s decision last week to remove former finance minister Nhlanhla Nene drew sharp criticism and led to market turmoil.
He later returned former finance minister Pravin Gordhan to head the Treasury‚ after Nene’s relatively unknown replacement Des van Rooyen was in office for just four days.
Reconciliation Day in Cape Town was supposed to be celebrated with three distinct and separately organised marches: The March with the Arch in Green Point, organised by mayor Patricia de Lille, a Corruption Must Fall march in the Company Gardens, and a Zuma Must Fall march in front of parliament.
When they combined, it created the biggest march in Cape Town since the Treatment Action Campaign march against then-president Thabo Mbeki’s HIV/Aids policies in 2003.
When thousands of marchers from all social classes and races pitched for the Zuma Must Fall march, it was decided to join the Corruption Must Fall March.
For many middle-class Capetonians it was clearly their first mass march, and in the beginning they answered the battle cry of “Amandla!” with “Amandla!” but quickly wised up and answered with “Awethu!”
The marchers joined the celebration in honour of Archbishop Emeritus Tutu, walking through the city centre, the gay village at De Waterkant and the residential area of Green Point – all DA strongholds – to the Green Point Stadium.
Extraordinary scenes of workers shouting encouragement from their workplaces and the aged hanging precariously from flat windows voicing their agreement that Zuma must fall, added to the message that it will yet again be heavy going for the ANC in next year’s local government elections in Cape Town.
The Reverend Mpho Tutu, speaking for the family, thanked Cape Town for its support and reiterated that people must always know what they are fighting against, and what they are fighting for.
The crowd dispersed in an orderly fashion.
Those at the march in Johannesburg also seemed to be predominantly part of the middle- class‚ something acknowledged during speeches by those who helped coordinate the march‚ a coalition of organisations operating under the banner “Unite Against Corruption”.
United Front coordinator John Appollis told the crowd that “when the middle-class comes to the streets then we know we are in a political and economic crisis”.
Former Cosatu general secretary Zwelinzima Vavi yesterday hit out at a “hyena elite” currently holding the country to ransom as he appealed for a stand against corruption.
“We are refusing to be reconciled with corruption and the eating away of the fabric of our society‚” Vavi said.
‘Zuma Must Fall’ echoes
In Cape Town, “Zuma Must Fall” was spray-painted onto the walls of parliament – and not removed for hours – and a massive “Zuma Must Fall” banner was left fastened unscathed to the parliamentary fence on the corner of Wale and Adderley streets in the city centre.
In Johannesburg, more than 1000 people marched across the Nelson Mandela Bridge in Newtown calling for the removal of Zuma and societal activism against government corruption.
Zuma’s decision last week to remove former finance minister Nhlanhla Nene drew sharp criticism and led to market turmoil.
He later returned former finance minister Pravin Gordhan to head the Treasury‚ after Nene’s relatively unknown replacement Des van Rooyen was in office for just four days.
Reconciliation Day in Cape Town was supposed to be celebrated with three distinct and separately organised marches: The March with the Arch in Green Point, organised by mayor Patricia de Lille, a Corruption Must Fall march in the Company Gardens, and a Zuma Must Fall march in front of parliament.
When they combined, it created the biggest march in Cape Town since the Treatment Action Campaign march against then-president Thabo Mbeki’s HIV/Aids policies in 2003.
When thousands of marchers from all social classes and races pitched for the Zuma Must Fall march, it was decided to join the Corruption Must Fall March.
For many middle-class Capetonians it was clearly their first mass march, and in the beginning they answered the battle cry of “Amandla!” with “Amandla!” but quickly wised up and answered with “Awethu!”
The marchers joined the celebration in honour of Archbishop Emeritus Tutu, walking through the city centre, the gay village at De Waterkant and the residential area of Green Point – all DA strongholds – to the Green Point Stadium.
Extraordinary scenes of workers shouting encouragement from their workplaces and the aged hanging precariously from flat windows voicing their agreement that Zuma must fall, added to the message that it will yet again be heavy going for the ANC in next year’s local government elections in Cape Town.
The Reverend Mpho Tutu, speaking for the family, thanked Cape Town for its support and reiterated that people must always know what they are fighting against, and what they are fighting for.
The crowd dispersed in an orderly fashion.
Those at the march in Johannesburg also seemed to be predominantly part of the middle- class‚ something acknowledged during speeches by those who helped coordinate the march‚ a coalition of organisations operating under the banner “Unite Against Corruption”.
United Front coordinator John Appollis told the crowd that “when the middle-class comes to the streets then we know we are in a political and economic crisis”.
Former Cosatu general secretary Zwelinzima Vavi yesterday hit out at a “hyena elite” currently holding the country to ransom as he appealed for a stand against corruption.
“We are refusing to be reconciled with corruption and the eating away of the fabric of our society‚” Vavi said.
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