PRETORIA, April 12 (ANA) – Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) leader Julius Malema on Wednesday urged activists from several opposition parties to observe strict discipline in the anti-Zuma march to Union Buildings in Pretoria.

“You follow the road that has been given to us. You follow leaders. If you go and use other routes, and they arrest you, we will not be responsible. You act out of instructions given by the leadership. You do not act on your own because you will be destroying a powerful message,” said Malema to thousands of protesters at Church Square in Pretoria CBD.

“Agent provocateurs should not be given an opportunity today. Anyone who engages in looting, or in disruptive activities, pull them by the trousers or by the skirt and tell them we are not here for those things. Unity of purpose is paramount.”

Malema charged his followers, who were the majority at the march, to tolerate members of other political parties at the protest.

“Members of the EFF, allow other parties to be among you. We don’t want to see only red here. As we march, we want to see a mixture of all parties,” said Malema.

The former ANC Youth League leader addressed the thousands of activists from parties including the EFF, Democratic Alliance (DA), African People’s Convention (APC), United Democratic Movement (UDM), Congress of the People (Cope) and Agang SA.

Malema told the crowd that the protest on Wednesday was “a show of force”.

Addressing the same gathering, DA national spokesperson Phumzile van Damme said opposition parties had resolved to put their differences aside for the sake of South Africa.

“We are really honoured to be here today with other opposition parties. We have all put our differences aside because we all care about the future of South Africa. So as we march towards the Union Buildings, please may we all be disciplined and let’s be clear in our message. Zuma must fall,” she chanted.

COPE leader Mosiuoa Lekota urged Zuma to “give way”.

By midday, the protesters left the Church Square and headed to the Union Buildings, under strict police watch.

– African News Agency (ANA) </s> Police will be out in full force ahead of the national day of action march on Wednesday, to the Union Buildings in Pretoria.

Addressing the media ahead of the march‚ which is against President Jacob Zuma’s leadership‚ Police Minister Fikile Mbalula and acting national police commissioner‚ Lt-Gen Khomotso Phahlane‚ said it was all systems go to ensure that the protest was peaceful.

The march‚ led by opposition political parties and civil society organisations‚ including Save SA‚ was expected to draw thousands of people into the city — and would follow nationwide protests against Zuma last Friday.

Phahlane said the deployment of police officers had already begun. "It will scale up from [Wednesday]. The plan is already being actioned." </s> Protesters have marched in cities across South Africa including Cape Town, Durban, and the capital, Pretoria calling for the removal of President Jacob Zuma.

The demonstrations came after Mr Zuma’s sacking of a respected finance minister, which led to the country’s credit rating being cut to junk status.

The move added pressure to South Africa’s already embattled economy.

But supporters of Mr Zuma also turned out to defend the president.

This week Mr Zuma survived calls by powerful groups allied to the governing ANC for him to go. He also got the backing of a major decision-making body within the party.

He is not due to leave office until 2019 when his second five-year term comes to an end.

One of the immediate sources of controversy was last week’s cabinet reshuffle which saw the removal of, among others, Finance Minister Pravin Gordhan.

In Johannesburg, there was a heavy police presence as protesters planned to converge near the ANC headquarters.

Hundreds of veterans of the ANC’s armed anti-apartheid struggle and members of the ruling party’s youth wing also gathered outside its headquarters at Luthuli House to protect the building.

Supporters of Mr Zuma told the BBC’s Milton Nkosi that they came out to promote the president’s policies. They said that Mr Zuma was promising radical socio-economic change.

One supporter said that it would be wrong to force regime change in South Africa, adding that such a move would be “going back to the dark ages of apartheid”.

Police fired tear gas and rubber bullets at protesters in one part of Johannesburg, local media are reporting.

Crowds later gathered outside a compound belonging to the wealthy Gupta family, which has ties to the president, in Johannesburg’s affluent Saxonwold suburb.

Pictures shared on social media on Friday showed large crowds assembling in Church Square in Pretoria, despite confusion over whether demonstrations in the capital are permitted by law.

Police said on Thursday that marches in Pretoria were illegal because they had not been granted permission by city authorities. But this was later overturned by a magistrate.

Protesters in the capital later marched to the seat of government, the Union Buildings, waving placards that read: “South Africa is not for sale.”

The BBC’s Karen Allen, in Pretoria, said that despite a heavy police presence, the protest there went ahead peacefully.

In Durban, banners stating “Jacob Zuma must step down” were draped from buildings as part of nationwide demonstrations. Protesters marched through the city with their faces painted, carrying messages of “downgrade Zuma, not South Africa” in reference to the country’s amended credit rating.

The government, which has appealed for peace during the countrywide protests, tweeted that the laws in South Africa are also there to “protect the right of those who would not like to participate in protest action”.

Earlier this week, a major decision-making body within the ruling ANC party discarded a complaint against Mr Zuma that he had failed to consult executives before reshuffling his cabinet.

The move to drop the finance minister angered both Mr Zuma’s opponents and allies, causing a rift in the ruling ANC party, which has governed South Africa since 1994.

It left some in the ANC leadership questioning whether Mr Zuma should remain as president.

Key ANC allies, the South African Communist Party (SACP) and the main trades union federation Cosatu, joined in the calls for him to go.

But the party’s National Working Committee (NWC), discussing the cabinet reshuffle, later gave the president its backing.

Mr Zuma has been described in local media as the Teflon Don because of his survival skills following the acceptance of his explanation for his controversial sacking of the finance minister. </s> These are external links and will open in a new window

Protesters are gathering in major South African cities calling for President Jacob Zuma to step down after the sacking of a respected finance minister.

Crowds are building ahead of demonstrations in Johannesburg, Cape Town, Durban and the capital, Pretoria.

Mr Zuma's sacking of Finance Minister Pravin Gordhan led to the country's credit rating being cut to junk status.

The move has added pressure to South Africa's already embattled economy.

Thousands are expected to march and pictures shared on social media on Friday show large crowds assembling in Church Square in Pretoria, despite confusion over whether demonstrations in the capital are permitted by law.

Police said on Thursday that marches in Pretoria were illegal because they had not been granted permission by city authorities. But this was later overturned by a magistrate.

Protesters in the capital are planning to march to the seat of government, the Union Buildings.

In Johannesburg, where people are due to converge a short distance from the ANC headquarters, motorists have been advised to avoid the city's central business district.

Hundreds of veterans of the ANC's armed anti-apartheid struggle and members of the ruling party's youth wing have gathered outside its headquarters to protect the building.

The government, which has appealed for peace during the countrywide protests, tweeted that the laws in South Africa are also there to "protect the right of those who would not like to participate in protest action".

Earlier this week, a major decision-making body within the ruling ANC party discarded a complaint against Mr Zuma that he had failed to consult executives before reshuffling his cabinet.
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• Knives are out for President Zuma

The move to drop Mr Gordhan from office angered both Mr Zuma's opponents and allies, causing a rift in the ruling ANC party, which has governed South Africa since 1994.

It left some in the ANC leadership questioning whether Mr Zuma should remain as president.

Key ANC allies, the South African Communist Party (SACP) and the main trades union federation Cosatu, joined in the calls for him to go.

But the party's National Working Committee (NWC), discussing the cabinet reshuffle, later gave the president its backing.

Mr Zuma has been described in local media as the Teflon Don because of his survival skills following the acceptance of his explanation for his controversial sacking of the finance minister.

Opposition parties, together with some in his own governing alliance, planned Friday's mass action through public protests to demand his resignation.

The Economic Freedom Fighters went to court asking permission for his impeachment. </s> Thousands of South Africans have gathered in major cities to demonstrate against President Jacob Zuma.

The protests are taking place after Mr Zuma’s dismissal of the country’s finance minister fuelled concerns over government corruption and a struggling economy.

Protesters began marches in Johannesburg, Pretoria, Cape Town and other big metropolitan areas to push for the resignation of scandal-hit Mr Zuma, who for now retains the support of a ruling party facing an internal revolt against the president.

A march organised by the Democratic Alliance, South Africa’s biggest opposition party, was expected to pass near the headquarters of the ruling African National Congress in Johannesburg.

ANC members in military uniforms who oppose the protest were posted outside.

The government appealed for calm and said it respects the right of South Africans to protest peacefully, a legacy of the struggle against white minority rule that ended in 1994 with the country’s first all-race vote and the election of Nelson Mandela as president.

Pravin Gordhan, who was fired as finance minister in a late-night cabinet reshuffle a week ago, was widely respected for his anti-corruption stance.

The Standard & Poor’s agency lowered South Africa’s foreign currency credit rating after the dismissal, citing political instability and threats to economic growth.

Mr Gordhan was seen as a counter to the alleged influence of the Gupta family, Indian immigrant businessmen who have been accused of trying to influence some of Mr Zuma’s cabinet picks.

The Guptas deny any wrongdoing, and Mr Zuma has said there was nothing improper in the way he chose ministers.

Mr Zuma and the ruling party have been weakened by other scandals around the president.

Mr Zuma was forced to reimburse some state money after the Constitutional Court ruled against him last year in a dispute over millions of dollars spent on his private home.

A South African news outlet posted photos of Mr Tutu and his wife, Leah, standing with residents at a bus shelter outside the retirement home where they are staying in Hermanus, near Cape Town.

Mr Tutu was shown smiling and raising a walking stick, apparently to acknowledge passing protesters.

The retired Anglican archbishop, who was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1984 for his peaceful campaign against apartheid, has criticised the ruling African National Congress for alleged mismanagement over the years.

In Johannesburg, police fired rubber bullets to disperse about 100 ruling party members who were making their way towards protesters, the African News Agency reported.

A few other confrontations were reported as police sought to keep groups of the president’s supporters away from anti-Zuma rallies.

The protests came as the Fitch agency downgraded South Africa’s credit rating to junk status, citing political turmoil and governance concerns.

The downgrade on Friday followed a similar move earlier this week by the Standard & Poor’s ratings agency.

Fitch said the cabinet reshuffle, in which Mr Gordhan was fired, will further discourage companies from investing in South Africa.

It also said the unsettled political situation is likely to weaken “standards of governance and public finances”. </s> At least 300 people gathered for an anti-immigration march in the South African capital Pretoria on Friday, as President Jacob Zuma condemned xenophobic violence that has targeted shops and homes.

Tyres were burnt in streets near Pretoria in the morning, as tensions rise between some South Africans and migrants from Nigeria, Zimbabwe, Somalia, Pakistan and elsewhere.

Shops and homes owned by foreigners have been looted and torched in recent weeks, with some locals alleging that the properties were brothels and drug dens.

Zuma called for restraint, saying in a statement that there had been "threats of violence and acts of intimidation and destruction of property directed at non-nationals."

"Residents in some communities blame non-nationals for the escalating crimes especially drug trafficking," the presidency said.

He called for South Africans not to blame migrants for the country's widespread crime problems, but said the government would crack down on drug-dealing and illegal immigrants.

The violence prompted Nigeria to summon South Africa's top envoy to Abuja on Thursday to raise its concerns.

Attacks against foreigners have erupted regularly in recent years in South Africa, fuelled by the country's high unemployment and poverty levels.

In the last week, more than 20 shops have been targeted in Atteridgeville, outside Pretoria, while residents in Rosettenville, south of Johannesburg, attacked at least 12 houses.

"We have decided to not to leave the house (during the anti-migrant march)," Alain Bome, 47, from Democratic Republic of the Congo who has been in South Africa for 14 years, told AFP.

"We know very well there have been attacks. We are scared because we know South Africans."

In 2008, South Africa experienced its worst bout of xenophobic violence, which left 62 people dead.

In 2015, at least seven people died in similar unrest in Johannesburg and the Indian Ocean city of Durban as African immigrants were hunted down and attacked by gangs. </s> Thousands of South Africans have gathered in major cities to demonstrate against President Jacob Zuma.

The protests are taking place after Mr Zuma's dismissal of the country's finance minister fuelled concerns over government corruption and a struggling economy.

Protesters began marches in Johannesburg, Pretoria, Cape Town and other big metropolitan areas to push for the resignation of scandal-hit Mr Zuma, who for now retains the support of a ruling party facing an internal revolt against the president.

A march organised by the Democratic Alliance, South Africa's biggest opposition party, was expected to pass near the headquarters of the ruling African National Congress in Johannesburg.

ANC members in military uniforms who oppose the protest were posted outside.

The government appealed for calm and said it respects the right of South Africans to protest peacefully, a legacy of the struggle against white minority rule that ended in 1994 with the country's first all-race vote and the election of Nelson Mandela as president.

Pravin Gordhan, who was fired as finance minister in a late-night cabinet reshuffle a week ago, was widely respected for his anti-corruption stance.

The Standard & Poor's agency lowered South Africa's foreign currency credit rating after the dismissal, citing political instability and threats to economic growth.

Mr Gordhan was seen as a counter to the alleged influence of the Gupta family, Indian immigrant businessmen who have been accused of trying to influence some of Mr Zuma's cabinet picks.

The Guptas deny any wrongdoing, and Mr Zuma has said there was nothing improper in the way he chose ministers.

Mr Zuma and the ruling party have been weakened by other scandals around the president.

Mr Zuma was forced to reimburse some state money after the Constitutional Court ruled against him last year in a dispute over millions of dollars spent on his private home. </s> Opposition parties are planning to step up their campaign to have President Jacob Zuma removed from office with a National Day of Action on Wednesday.

The parties — the African Christian Democratic Party‚ African People’s Convention‚ Congress of the People‚ Democratic Alliance‚ Economic Freedom Fighters‚ Inkatha Freedom Party and the United Democratic Movement – will march to the Union Buildings on Wednesday to demand that Zuma step down.

Anti-Zuma protests nationwide - PHOTOS A number of events, marches and pickets aimed at pressuring President Jacob Zuma to quit have been planned across the country.

The march will start from Church Square in the capital at noon.

The parties said on Saturday that Zuma’s careless Cabinet reshuffle of four Finance Ministers in three years has plunged the country into “junk status”.

“International ratings agencies have downgraded South Africa and this will lead to high interest rates levied on home‚ car and student loans‚ to high food prices and to a bigger fiscal debt‚” they said.

ANN7 reporter attacked at anti-Zuma march A journalist for Gupta-owned television news channel African News Network 7 had water poured over her by anti-Zuma marchers wearing Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) T-shirts at the Union Buildings in Pretoria.

They also charged that Zuma had used an “unsubstantiated and bogus intelligence report” to remove a competent Minister and Deputy Minister of Finance‚ and replaced them with under-experienced yes-men. This meant he used state security agencies to fight political battles‚ they asserted.

“Zuma’s Cabinet reshuffle was not in the best interests of the country in that it protected and rewarded incompetent ministers who have rendered state institutions into disarray like Faith Muthambi (SABC) and Bathabile Dlamini (social grants redistribution)‚” the parties added.

Protesters chant 'Zuma must go' outside Gupta compound About 300 people congregated outside the Gupta family compound in Saxonwold‚ Johannesburg‚ at noon on Friday as part of “Black Friday” protests countrywide calling for President Jacob Zuma to leave as president of the country.

They reminded the country that the Constitutional Court had found that Zuma had “acted illegally‚ unlawfully and failed to uphold‚ defend‚ and respect the Constitution in that he disregarded the Public Protector’s remedial action on the Nkandla corruption”.

“Because this is a violation of the Constitution and his oath of office‚ Jacob Zuma is not eligible to be President of South Africa under a Constitutional democracy and Constitutional supremacy.”

Tens of thousands of South Africans took to the streets countrywide on Friday to demand that Zuma step down as president. </s> President of South Africa Jacob Zuma gestures as he sings to his supporters at the 54th National Conference of the ruling African National Congress (ANC) at the Nasrec Expo Centre in Johannesburg, South Africa December 16, 2017. REUTERS/Siphiwe...
Julius Malema addresses a large, multi-racial crowd in Pretoria before their march on the Union buildings.