LIVE BLOG: #NationalDayOfAction march in Pretoria

By
The Daily Vox Team
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14:15 PM

“It has started now, it’s on,” says Malema at the end of his speech.

“When you leave here, go back home peacefully in a disciplined manner, mobilise, go back into communities, you must have small demonstrations in your own communities, you must demand that Zuma must go … You must go and stand on bridges even if you are four, even if you are five [protesters], you must hold a placard [saying] Zuma must go.”

Even though the official programme was not quite over, protesters immediately started to leave the Union Building lawns.

Guess it’s over. That was anticlimactic.

We’ll keep you posted if anything changes.

XOXO
The Daily Vox Team

14:00 PM

EFF leader Julius Malema took the opportunity to needle Zuma, saying Zuma should “go back to the village”.

“It would be a waste of time to present a memorandum to an illiterate someone who doesn’t have a relationship with books and therefore a memorandum will not be read by this clown occupying this office. We don’t want to waste anyone’s time and we don’t want to waste paper and ink because this man will never read anything from us.”

As for plans after this march is done? “This is a rolling mass action,” Malema said, adding that the protests would be going to every province.

13:45 PM

Notably absent from the podium is DA leader Mmusi Maimane. Instead, spokesperson Phumzile Van Damme led the crowd in a rendition of “Unity’s the power”.

13:30 PM

The crowd outside the Union Buildings is huge! Reporters are estimating the size of the crowd to be around 100 – 120 000.

This is yet to be confirmed though.

13:00 PM
EFF members addressing the crowd. If our political stance was based on singing ability, The People’s Bae – the EFF’s Mbuyiseni Ndlozi – has our vote!

“Zuma must goooooo” for who? The EFF’s advocate Dali Mpofu has some new lyrics for marchers to sing.

12:45

This protest is looking pretty festive. Good thing the weather held.

EFF leader Julius Malema has called the crowd closer to “give Zuma a birthday present”. He’s in high spirits today – probably because the crowd is mostly red.

12:35

You have to admit, this picture of the opposition party leaders at the front of the march in their multicoloured t-shirts, is kind of cool.

Overheard in the newsroom: Look at the shoes Terror has on, no wonder he’s tired.

Also, check out Malema’s matching kicks. 😂

 

12:30 PM

Protestors have reached the Union Building. Barbed wire has been deployed to keep protesters at a distance.

Some are now estimating the size of crowd at about 30,000 people.

12:15 PM

The march is underway and protestors are chanting “Zuma Must Go” as they walk. Butternuts and coffins for Zuma are par for the course, here.

12PM

The march towards the Union Buildings has officially started.

Pretoria is a sea of red, blue and green as opposition party leaders march arm in arm towards the Union Buildings. They plan to hand over a memorandum once they arrive.

Police are keeping a close eye on the marchers, and say they are expecting 10 000 people to take part. But, knowing the EFF and the numbers they can pull, we expect it to be much bigger.

9AM

Thousands of South Africans are gathering on Wednesday morning in Pretoria calling for President Jacob Zuma to step down.

Zuma sparked public ire late last month when he sacked Finance Minister Pravin Gordhan and reshuffled the cabinet, sparking a credit downgrade to junk status.

This comes after movements around the country last week called for #ZumaMustFall.

Wednesday’s march, which is being led by the EFF, also includes opposition parties Agang, ACDP, Congress of the People (COPE), the DA, IFP and UDM, as well as NGOs and religious groups. All this, while Zuma will be attending his birthday rally at Walter Sisulu Square in Kliptown.

Protesters started gathering at Church Square in Pretoria early on Wednesday. A march to the Union Buildings is set to begin at midday.

Chants of “Zuma Must Go” could be heard early on, around the square.

Follow the Daily Vox team @thedailyvox on Twitter or come back to this post for updates throughout the day.

Featured image by Dineo Bendile

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