People’s Assembly march for Zuma resignation

ANC chair and KZN premier Senzo Mchunu. Picture: S'bonelo Ngcobo

ANC chair and KZN premier Senzo Mchunu. Picture: S'bonelo Ngcobo

Published Apr 26, 2016

Share

Durban - While President Jacob Zuma will be leading the Freedom Day national celebrations in Limpopo on Wednesday, civil society organisations in the province will join others in the country calling for his resignation.

In a statement, the presidency said this year’s celebrations would be held under the theme: “Together Building Better Communities - Local Government is Everybody’s Business”.

“We call on all South Africans to mark this important day on which the nation triumphed over racism and subjugation. On this day we will be promoting unity and working together to build a non-racial, non-sexist, democratic and prosperous South Africa,” Zuma said.

However, civil society, under the banner of the People’s Assembly, will add their voices to the growing calls made by prominent figures and organisations after the Constitutional Court found that Zuma failed to uphold the constitution.

The People’s Assembly said protests were expected to take place in Durban, Cape Town and Johannesburg.

The People’s Assembly is a broad coalition of labour, social justice activists, community organisations, environmentalists, students, academics, artists and churches.

It has vowed to embark on a continuing campaign until Zuma steps down.

Rehad Desai, member of the campaign’s steering committee, said South Africans needed to come together on this.

“We are asking for volunteers, support, sharing of skills and resources. The cracks have opened up, we need to push harder to get Zuma to go; his removal can be the first step in building a more equitable and just SA,” Desai said.

Spokazi Mkhize, provincial secretary of the United Front, which leads the People’s Assembly in KwaZulu-Natal, said their protest action would take the form of a march from Dinizulu Park to the Durban City Hall.

Mkhize said the civil society in the province would make their statement on the growing calls for Zuma to step down.

As Zuma leads the national celebrations, KZN Premier Senzo Mchunu will officiate at the provincial event at the Embuzweni sports field in Ladysmith.

Mchunu’s spokesperson, Ndabezinhle Sibiya, said Mchunu had called on the citizens of KZN to unite and celebrate Freedom Day as a “United Nations” committed to preserving the Rainbow Nation.

Sibiya said Mchunu wanted citizens to join hands with government to strengthen its programmes to add meaning to freedom and democracy.

“As government we are committed to working with community leaders and the private sector to move this province forward,” he said.

Daily News

Related Topics: