Minister in the Presidency Jeff Radebe’s address at today’s anticorruption march was barely heard as crowds booed him away.
Thousands gathered in Pretoria, where they marched to the Union Buildings in a much-anticipated renewed onslaught against corruption in the private and public sector.
Radebe, who arrived to receive the memorandum on behalf of the government, was clearly not welcome.
Crowds immediately started booing and shouting insults.
“He is a corrupt minister”, “arrest Zuma first” and “pay back the money” were all heard from the crowd.
The march looked like it would not go ahead a few days ago after the National Economic Development and Labour Council told workers that protest action would only be protected in 14 days.
Had the anticorruption march not gone ahead today it would have been the third postponement.
National Union of Metalworkers of South Africa general secretary Irvin Jim told City Press that workers would gather on October 14 for mass protest action and they would not be deterred by legal challenges.
Meanwhile, about 4000 people marched through Cape Town for the same cause.
Leaders from religious groups, non-governmental organisations and labour unions braved the rain to call on the government to “take note of the united movement that is forming around the fight against corruption”, Church groups against corruption said in a statement.
