Who marched against Jacob Zuma and why?
Protests in South Africa have largely been confined to black working class townships and informal settlements. Is this beginning to change?
South Africa has long been described as the “protest capital of the world”. But the protests have largely been confined to black townships and informal settlements. The student protests of 2015-2016 suggested that this was beginning to change, with students of all races marching to places such as the African National Congress’s (ANC’s) headquarters Luthuli House, Parliament and Union Buildings. But the most recent marches were the first time in post-apartheid South Africa that such a united force was seen against a president and the governing party — the ANC. This followed growing discontent towards President Jacob Zuma and the ANC that was reflected in the loss of support in the 2016 local government elections. The outcry following Zuma’s recent cabinet reshuffle, widely seen as being influenced by the interests of the Gupta family, culminated in nationwide protests on April 7, 2017. Thousands of people marched across the country, notably in Pretoria, Durban, Johannesburg and Cape ...
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