Anti-Zuma protests in South Africa as economic woes mount

Thousands of protesters marched through South African cities yesterday demanding President Jacob Zuma’s resignation, as a second ratings agency downgraded the country’s debt to junk status, reports AFP from Johannesburg. Zuma’s sacking of respected finance minister Pravin Gordhan last week has fanned public anger, divisions within the ruling ANC party and a sharp decline in investor confidence in the country.
“Recent political events, including a major cabinet reshuffle, will weaken standards of governance and public finances,” the Fitch ratings agency predicted as it announced the downgrade.
The Standard & Poor’s agency had also downgraded South African sovereign debt to junk status after Zuma made the dramatic move to change ten ministerial positions.
Zuma, who came to power in 2009, has been battered by a series of corruption scandals during his time in office, while the country has suffered record unemployment, slowing growth and stubborn racial inequality.
His removal of Gordhan unleashed a fresh bout of criticism, as many ordinary South Africans and international investors saw the former minister as a bulwark against corruption.
Large crowds gathered at anti-Zuma rallies in the capital Pretoria, the economic hub Johannesburg and coastal cities of Durban and Cape Town.
Several thousand people attended the Johannesburg protest organised by the opposition Democratic Alliance party, which hopes to make gains in 2019 elections under its leader Mmusi Maimane, 36.
“We want Zuma to fall. He is too corrupt. Real people are struggling. I voted for Nelson Mandela, but Maimane has a lot of integrity and he’s young,” protester Vanessa Michael, 54, from East Rand, told AFP.
The African National Congress (ANC) led the decades-long struggle against apartheid, and carried Nelson Mandela to power in the 1994 elections that ended white-minority rule.

 

Anti-Zuma protests in South Africa as economic woes mount

Thousands of protesters marched through South African cities yesterday demanding President Jacob Zumas resignation, as a second ratings agency downgraded the countrys debt to junk status, reports AFP from Johannesburg. Zumas sacking of respected finance minister Pravin Gordhan last week has fanned public anger, divisions within the ruling ANC party and a sharp decline in investor confidence in the country. Recent political events, including a major cabinet reshuffle, will weaken standards of governance and public finances, the Fitch ratings agency predicted as it announced the downgrade. The Standard Poors agency had also downgraded South African sovereign debt to junk status after Zuma made the dramatic move to change ten ministerial positions. Zuma, who came to power in 2009, has been battered by a series of corruption scandals during his time in office, while the country has suffered record unemployment, slowing growth and stubborn racial inequality. His removal of Gordhan unleashed a fresh bout of criticism, as many ordinary South Africans and international investors saw the former minister as a bulwark against corruption. Large crowds gathered at anti-Zuma rallies in the capital Pretoria, the economic hub Johannesburg and coastal cities of Durban and Cape Town. Several thousand people attended the Johannesburg protest organised by the opposition Democratic Alliance party, which hopes to make gains in 2019 elections under its leader Mmusi Maimane, 36. We want Zuma to fall. He is too corrupt. Real people are struggling. I voted for Nelson Mandela, but Maimane has a lot of integrity and hes young, protester Vanessa Michael, 54, from East Rand, told AFP. The African National Congress (ANC) led the decades-long struggle against apartheid, and carried Nelson Mandela to power in the 1994 elections that ended white-minority rule.