Challenging Zuma

Tens of thousands of South Africans took to the streets nationwide, calling on embattled President Jacob Zuma to resign. The main protest marches took place in six major towns: Pretoria, Cape Town, Johannesburg, Port Elizabeth, Bloemfontein and Durban. The African National Congress (ANC) party has rejected calls for him to quit.

"We are just trying to tell the people of South Africa that enough is enough and Zuma must go"  said Thembalani Gumede. "He has done a lot to destroy this country. It is time for him to go." 

Kim Roots took issue with the recent sacking of Finance Minister Pravin Gordhan.

"The South African rand has dropped and we have lost lots and lots of money, Roots said. "He  is not supporting housing, people have no money."

Bheka Ntuli from Durban said it was time South Africa sought a commited and passionate president who would listen to the masses.

A quarter of the country is unemployed and two ratings agencies have downgraded South African debt to "junk" status. South Africa as economic growth slowed to 0.3 percent last year.

Zuma is facing a no-confidence ballot on April 18

The World Socialist Movement counsels our fellow workers in South Africa that simply changing leaders, or even the political party, in power is no solution. People can be forgiven for thinking that political leadership is an integral part of political life and no society can function without it.  This is certainly the case under capitalism.  This is as just as true in a so-called ‘socialist state’. However, the interests of leaders and the led are diametrically opposed, insomuch that the knowledge which is essential to working-class emancipation must inevitably abolish leaders, and establish working-class effort on the faith and confidence in the intellect and ability of the working-class. The socialist, the true democrat, does not place faith in leaders. We know that the only hope lies in the intelligence and courage and energy of the working class as a class, and all our  hope, all our trust, rests in the working class.