‘Eating from the carcass of our state’: Protestors turn out in Johannesburg to demand South African President Jacob Zuma resign
Zuma has been buffeted by corruption scandals, a dire economy and charges he has tarnished Nelson Mandela’s legacy.
Thousands of protesters marched through South African cities on Wednesday demanding President Jacob Zuma’s resignation after he triggered economic turmoil by sacking his respected finance minister.
Zuma was left badly bruised when he fired Nhlanhla Nene last week in favour of little-known backbencher David van Rooyen, who was himself removed after only four days in office.
Zuma’s African National Congress (ANC) party, which has ruled since the end of apartheid in 1994, won a general election easily last year but could lose power in some major municipalities at local polls in 2016.
Over time, lots of people started to feel it was going wrong. It has gone from bad to worse. Now it’s just rotten
“We had such hopes in 1994 because of all the struggles to remove apartheid,” Theresa Giorza, 55, a university teacher, said at the protest in central Johannesburg, which attracted about 2,000 marchers.
“There were good leaders in place, and support for ANC at home and abroad. Over time, lots of people started to feel it was going wrong. It has gone from bad to worse. Now it’s just rotten.”
The debacle over finance ministers triggered a market rout and fuelled opposition to Zuma, who has been buffeted by corruption scandals, a dire economy and charges of tarnishing Nelson Mandela’s legacy.
Handing Van Rooyen the key finance portfolio underlined widespread fears that corrupt Zuma loyalists were calling the shots in government.
“This was another attempt to blunt the instruments of democracy,” said Zwelinzima Vavi, one of the march organisers. “They were wanting to grab the treasury for the interests of [those] who are eating from the carcass of our state.