Thousands of S.Africans call for president’s removal

President Zuma backtracked on the decision and reinstated a former Finance Minister who was replaced by the recently sacked and highly respected Nhlanhla Nene.

– Dr Somadoda Fikeni, political analystRemember in this past year or two, President Zuma has attracted quite a number of instances where there’s controversy whether it’s Nkandla or some utterances or omission.

The turbulence continued over the weekend and yesterday saw another shock as Zuma bowed to pressure from the markets and replaced Nene’s successor – the unknown and underqualified David Van Rooyen – with a previous finance minister, Pravin Gordhan.

Credit agency Fitch downgraded South Africa on December 4, leaving the continent’s most sophisticated economy just one notch above “junk” status, and said on Thursday the dismissal of Nene had “raised more negative than positive questions”. He added, to loud cheers, that the only way South Africa can move forward from the culture of corruption is to change drastically by removing Zuma.

There was no immediate government response to the marches.

The group can be heard singing loudly, chanting “Zuma Must Fall”.

Levels of support for the export-driven South African Rand have plunged in the markets as a effect, and with futures markets pricing-in a near 80% likelihood that USA interest rates will be heading higher tomorrow evening, there could be further downside to come for the Rand. It was as much as 891 basis points, or nearly 9 percentage points, in February, when Nigeria’s yields soared after its government postponed a presidential election following an upsurge in attacks by Boko Haram militants. The demonstrators are marching in the capital city of Cape Town and using the hashtag #ZumaMustFall on social media.

Wednesday’s marches were held on the Day of Reconciliation, an annual holiday on which the president makes a speech promoting better race relations after the era of white-minority rule.

“We congratulate our youth as they clearly took forward the country’s traditions of non-racial struggle and of being a united and non-racial South Africa”.

A BLUNDER by Jacob Zuma that gave South Africa three finance ministers in five days has put the president’s credibility on the line, with some senior ruling party figures, the opposition and ordinary people calling for his head.

However, spokesman Zizi Kodwa said top officials in the African National Congress (ANC), had not contemplated such drastic action.

“It’s not genuine and it’s hypocritical, given the call and the people who are behind these marches”.

Addressing the marchers at the Union Buildings, Themba Masango from Mamelodi said the protest was about removing one man.