Cape Town - The ANC has said it will rule until Jesus
comes, but for a large part of the #ZumaMustFall march in Cape Town it seemed
Jesus should come sooner to get President Jacob Zuma to resign.
Following the success of last year's #ZumaMustFall march,
which many derided for being a long walk to a picnic, around 2 000 people
marched through the city's CBD on Freedom Day to call for the president to
either resign or be recalled by the ANC.
The front ranks were filled with people carrying posters
saying "SA needs Jesus", a banner saying "The blood of the
Lamb" and "All things rise and fall on leaders" while they sang
Christian worship songs arranged to Soca music.
The rear guard was more direct, chanting "Zuma must
fall" and carrying posters with that call printed in huge letters.
Another read, "To our ANC leaders: There comes a
time when inaction makes you guilty - that time is now! Please recall Mr Jacob
Zuma" while another was more brief: "Zoom Zoom must go".
One poster had pictures of Zuma with tattoos on his face
and Deputy President Cyril Ramaphosa superimposed on an arrest mug shot.
Dogs accompanied humans on the march with a small
Yorkshire terrier pitter-pattering along with a sign on his back saying,
"Zuma Must Fall Woof Woof!!"
They walked down Darling Street and up Adderley Street,
led by the band, Africam, on the back of a truck, alternating between
religious songs and a song about freedom that the band had had taught the group
before they set off.
"Down with corruption," they chanted as they
rounded the corner to Parliament where a phalanx of public order policing
officers in riot gear waited for them at the gate.
A smattering of t-shirts from most of the country's
political parties was evident, including at least one ANC T-shirt and an EFF
beret, but there was no party talk.
An Azanian People's Organisation banner was also carried
along in the crowd.
The African Christian Democratic Party's Steve Swart and
Congress of the People's Deidre Carter were among the political celebrities
present, and United Democratic Movement supporters showed up with posters of
their president Bantu Holomisa.
Speeches
Richard Verreynne, chairperson of the Evangelical
Alliance of SA, started the speeches outside Parliament by running through
complaints about Zuma - from the recent Constitutional Court finding, to the
high unemployment rate in the country.
"He is a president of impunity," he said to
cheers. "We have become a country in permanent crisis."
Another supporter of the call, Brutus Malada, said,
"Stand up and protect the future of this country. If this government, if
this ANC, cannot act against Jacob Zuma today, you must be worried as South
Africans."
Gloria Veale-Oliver, who said she had been an
anti-apartheid activist, whipped the crowd up into an evangelical frenzy with
shouts of "When we rebel against good, we rebel against God".
"We have hardened our hearts and that is why we are
in the state we are in today. Zuma is but one of the problems we have
today," she said to nods of agreement and "amens".
"It's time to arise to the light. It is time that we
understand that we are fighting a spiritual war," she said, as the outer
fringes chatted.
One man, who would only be identified as Vincent, said he
was not happy with the focus on Christianity. "What about the Muslim
people who want Zuma to go? I don't think this is right."
The gathering was rounded off with a rap song by
Khayelitsha artist Sizwe Nguqe about a father who neglects his children.
People were presented with green ribbons and asked to put
them somewhere visible as a symbol of their call for Zuma to be removed.
In Johannesburg
Meanwhile, in Johannesburg more than 100 people gathered
outside the Gauteng Provincial Legislature on Freedom Day to participate in a
march organised by various organisations.
They included the Right2Know, People's Assembly, EFF,
AZAPO, PAC and the Marikana Support Campaign.
Right2Know's Godfrey Phiri told marchers they were a
South Africa against corruption and looting.
"Enough is enough. We need to build a proper
democratic South Africa. We should stop politicians from calling people white
and black. We are not laundry. We are human beings," he said.
