Foundation in call to march

The Ahmed Kathrada Foundation has urged people to support tomorrow’s march to the Union Buildings in Pretoria, calling for President Jacob Zuma to step down.

The call comes following Zuma’s late-night Cabinet reshuffle last week, which included the axing of Pravin Gordhan as finance minister and Mcebisi Jonas as his deputy.

The march is expected to begin at 12pm at Church Square, from where participants will proceed to the Union Buildings.

The foundation’s Neeshan Balton said they would this weekend convene a consultative meeting that “seeks to bring together all organisations who have expressed a sentiment similar to that of Kathrada’s, calling on President Jacob Zuma to step down.

“The meeting will, accordingly, enable different organisations to share their plans and to participate in discussions on the possibilities for joint and collective action.”

Expected at the meeting are representatives of labour and political formations, academia, faith-based organisations, women’s and youth groups, legacy foundations, NGOs, advocacy groups and civil society organisations, arts and culture groupings and members of the communications and legal fraternities.

Struggle veteran Kathrada, who died at the age of 87 last week, had in part penned the following to Zuma in 2016:

“Dear Comrade President, don’t you think your continued stay as President will only serve to deepen the crisis of confidence in the government of the country?

“And bluntly, if not arrogantly; in the face of such persistently widespread criticism, condemnation and demand, is it asking too much to express the hope that you will choose the correct way that is gaining momentum, to consider stepping down?

“If not, Comrade President, are you aware that your outstanding contribution to the liberation struggle stands to be severely tarnished if the remainder of your term as President continues to be dogged by crises and a growing public loss of confidence in the ANC and government as a whole?” – Citizen Reporter