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Live blog: The #ZumaMustGo protests
Compiled by ANT KATZ
#ZumaMustGo – the JR LIVE BLOG
As always with live blogs, they are just that: LIVE! JEWISH REPORT ONLINE will be posting both generated images and words as well as those submitted and…
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POSTED 17:01:
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The numbers will never be known as small groups of South Africans, like those in this picture submitted by a user, and the thousands who participated in the “chains4change” groups – see below – will never be able to be counted.
Members of the community are invited to continue to submit pictures (like this small group of supporters) and place their comments and views as comments below this page. It was wonderful to see the contribution that people made – as ordinary, concerned, South Africans – and how they were accepted as such.
There is a magnificent but patchy piece of cell-phone video that was submitted by a user depicting Rabbi Goldstein revving up the Pretoria crowd in a very activist fashion which was amazing – anyone who is able to provide good video of that event should please send to online.editor@sajr.co.za
POSTED 16h13 >>>>>>>>>>>>>>
In an attempt to break up pro- and anti-Zuma protesters outside the Gupta Compound in Saxonwold in the past few minutes, the assumption is that the Police fired a metal thunderflash which landed just next to eNCA’s Iman Rapetti while she was doing to a live broadcast. The live explosion threw the broadcaster and her interviewee off their feet in the ensuing chaos.
POSTED 15h42 >>>>>>>>>>>>>> 
The poster at left sums up the mood of South Africans today.
One group of South Africans, religious leaders, were the first to start asking to ANC to recall the President a years ago.
It was left to Chief Rabbi Warren Goldstein to speak this truth to power – exactly one year ago – when interfaith groups met with four of the ANC Top-Six.
This week again, “the Chief” as he is warmly known, again called on Zuma to stand down for the sake of the country and spoke on behalf of the interfaith leadership. And today, once again, Rabbi Goldstein was at the forefront of the Pretoria March.
The Chief Rabbi has elected to join the march in Pretoria, from Church Square to the Union Buildings. “Join me, and thousands of others in marches across the country,” said the Chief Rabbi this week, but remember it is a Friday, he adds, “so make sure to leave enough time to get home well before Shabbos. Let us pray for G-d’s guidance and abundant blessing at this historic time.”
What the Chief Rabbi told the ANC in April 2016
At a press conference last April, Goldstein said that he had expressed to the ANC hierarchy that President Jacob Zuma had “lost the moral legitimacy to govern this country.” Interfaith bodies representing upwards of 80 percent of South Africans had met the ANC leadership after the Nkandla decision in the Constitutional Court. Not mincing his words, Rabbi Goldstein told the ANC to ask Zuma to step down and, as he put it a year ago, “put the good of the country before anything else”.
This week Goldstein again spoke out, delivering his Pesach message “Let our people go!” and drawing the analogy of the saga of today’s South Africa to the flight of our people from Egypt 3329 years ago. “With that freedom comes a voice,” says the Chief, who will be marching in Pretoria on Friday.
POSTED 15h12 >>>>>>>>>>>>>>
BREAKING NEWS:
​​Anneke Larsen reporting that another huge group are marching on Parly – the public order police had left. The new group had a permit to march and were delayed by a group of ANCYL supporters with whom they ended up in a major brouhaha.
in and while
Also the crowd protesting outside the Gupta compound – where a small group had been protesting this morning – has become a point of controversy as many of the protesters who had been at other sites have been converging – violence is breaking out and police are moving in resources
A contrary voice worth reading…
DR IVOR BLUMENTHAL: OUR SOUTH AFRICAN SPRING:
Let me preface everything I am about to say by saying I was born in SA. I am a Citizen of SA and a proud Jew who has every right to remain here.
The challenge in protesting effectively as White people, is not to protest.
This is not our fight.
This is the fight of those who have a legitimate claim against this version of the ANC and the GUPTA’s. For the same reason that Helen Zille had no right to comment against Colonialism, it is not our place to protest against a corrupt and inept state. It is the responsibility of those who put the ANC in this position to remediate the problem. Every White protest publicly is a red flag to marauding rural citizens of this country who will be bussed and brought into counter any attack on Luthuli house, and to specifically target White people. Those people living in rural areas of South Africa, who are in the majority have been completely and effectively indoctrinated by Zuma and the ANC NEC over a 25 year period. Why do you think Faith is still there in the ANC NEC and why Hlaudi is still effectively pulling the strings at the SABC which is now bankrupt because of his brilliant and strategic manipulation of the SABC’s resources? The majority of South Africans who have been kept poor and without services have been trained and conditioned to see the White person as bad, as Evil and as responsible on an ongoing basis for their current state of dispossession.
The best thing we can do for our Democracy is to let it play out between those with a legitimate claim on a solution.
The question I ask of those Jews who are about to take to the streets and to derail the attention by the ANC on the ANC, is are you and your family prepared to take up arms? Are you prepared to die for the colour of your skin and in the process be aiding Zuma to avoid his fate? If you are not strategic about the involvement of White and Jewish citizens, then instead of peaceful change, caused by the masses, we will end up with bloodshed on the streets focused on Whites and worse Jews because we always unfortunately draw the ire of the masses. This is what Zuma and his bosses want because it will divert attention away from them, the corrupt crooks who have brought this country to this stage. It will focus the attention of the masses of dispossessed in this country on Us. On White Jewish people. Suddenly we all become Helen Zille’s. That is the rallying cry Zuma is waiting for. If Civil Society organisations can be effective and get a large proportion of the ANC who put Jacob in to take him out of the position and to neutralise his power in the party, and if they are openly asking the DA and other structures associated with the White Minority in SA not to interfere, but to be there supporting their efforts, who are we to say otherwise?
POSTED 14h56 >>>>>>>>>>>>>>
Voices of some Jewish South Africans
DARREN BERGMAN, DA MP and formerly a senior Johannesburg City Councillor, said that “Although Jacob Zuma has been the best weapon for the DA, we need to put the interest of the country first and the sooner we can stop President Zuma and the current slide to junk status the better it will be for all citizens of this beautiful country.” Bergman said he “will support all marches that call on the resignation of the president, provided they are peaceful…”
MIKE SINGER: The ANC cadres have to stop practicing the sheep mentality and have the courage to vote out their corrupt leader. It’s the same kind of sheep behavior we as Jews, we observed by them, for years now, in their blind support of Palestinian terrorists, against all morals or consideration of human rights.
ALLAN WOLMAN OF JOHANNESBURG says he represents no constituency. “I fully support the call #ZumanMustFall as would any concerned citizen for all the reasons that civil society have voiced these past few days. Alas I believe that it will come to naught and notwithstanding those calls from decent and committed and honest people it will be business as usual – the ANC will close ranks and worse still will lend support for a third term for Zuma in 2019. Perhaps read Justice Malala’s column in The Times – Monay 3 April.”
MONICA SOLOMON, JOHANNESBURG: I support the #ZumaMustGo campaign because it’s time for us to reclaim South Africa. There is no doubt it has been captured and if we don’t support this campaign now then when? From the Nene debacle to this (and everything inbetween) – we have lost all credibility and if Zuma does not go we are doomed. Yes I would march, and quite clearly against the President.
LARRY HIDE OF PORT ELIZABETH: I would support the campaign for #ZumaMustGo and my reasons are that we want an honest government, one that delivers to its people and puts the interest of South Africa and its citizens first. Zuma and his cronies are putting their own interests first and we need to stand united regardless of our party affiliation and work towards honest governance. I will march to express my non-support for Zuma.
POSTED 14h50 >>>>>>>>>>>
The festive atmosphere continues around the country and where clashes did exist it seems they have been quelled.
Ploitical commentators are saying that, as much as the events of the past ten days put SA at a crossroud, so the events of today have ensured that such events will never occur again and the ANC cannot ignore the voice of the people – which was well and truly stated today.
Another previous live blog…
LIVE BLOG FROM THE BIG GLENHAZEL BASH The biggest community party of 2013 was the ChaiFM KosherWorld bash – check out JR Online’s LIVE BLOG from the event We live-blogged from this incredible community party so that those who can’t be there live, from around the town, country or world could share it.
POSTED 14h34 >>>>>>>>>>>
POSTED 14h14 >>>>>>>>>>>
Another previous LIVE BLOG to gib a kuk – This was the most successful live blog on JR Online to date.
ABSA ACHIEVERS 2014 THE LIVE BLOG–. LISTED WINNER was Steve Braudo. This live blog began on Sunday 24 Aug 2014, the sixteenth annual Absa Jewish Achiever Awards brought to you by SA Jewish Report. Almost 5000 visits were achieved with an average visit period of almost nine minutes.
BREAKING NEWS FROM ANEKA LARSEN IN CT
People from leafy suburbs like Constantia who drank Cappuccinos and sat on yoga mats – and others from Kyalisha on cardboard boxes and eating dry bread – exchanging conversation and seeming to have shared problems with ZUMA.
Larsen says police estimate 55k atttended.
BREAKING NEWS:
Fitch has just become the second ratings agency to downgrade SA officially placing our status as JUNK.
POSTED 13h54 >>>>>>>>>>>
BREAKING NEWS: with community protests happening acress the city Police have detained ANC supporters in central Joburg for marching without permission
BREAKING NEWS: with most events winding down, the security forces are also getting a break at most sites – Johannesburg and Cape Town still have some hotspots
BREAKING NEWS: Why is their such authoritarian creep that we are protecting buildings that are not under attack – WITH GUNS!
BREAKING NEWS: ANC Woman’s League were conspicuousby their absence on either side of the divide – but (very rough at this stage) media estimates are that as many as 750k to one mil anti-Zuma protesters have faced under 100k pro-Zuma supporters.
Political commentator Kariema Brown again speaks on maturing democracy but concerned at autocratic nature of security forces – says going back to a force and not a service. She says ppl are asking about Pravin dismissal and Zuma enrichment
BREAKING NEWS – CAPE TOWN PICS JUST IN
POSTED 13h30 >>>>>>>>>>>
Most march programmes are taking a break for lunch so it’s time to catch up with pictures that have been submitted – thanks for all the pics and visits – AVERAGE VISIT TO THIS PAGE IS BEING READ FOR 5:46 MINS – SA average read time is over 9 mins – tell your friends and family to follow us
POSTED 13h20 >>>>>>>>>>>
Latest news
Latest – Kariema Brown says ANC didn’t believe that non-ANC orgs could mobilise as they have done. Zuma and his friends are quite concious as to why people are on the streets.
Previous live blogs – gib a kuk…
LIVE BLOG FROM SAFI CONFERENCE 2014
South African Friends of Israel (SAFI) is a movement that promotes inter-faith dialogue between the South African Jewish community and the broader South African community.
SAFI ISRAEL ADVOCACY 2016 CONFERENCE LIVE BLOG
Follow the LIVE BLOG of the SA Friends of Israel (SAFI) taking place from 9am to 4pm on Sunday 13 March 2016. This page includes programme notes and speaker information – but the live blog will begin before 9am. As each new post is added, the time will be displayed on this home page link.
POSTED 13h10 >>>>>>>>>>>
More breaking news – Police arrest a man in clashes between ANCYL and the DA
King David School teachers
POSTED 12h55 >>>>>>>>>>> #ZumaMustFall
Pic at left from Reeva Forman
At Luthili house a large pro-Zuma crowd has gathered – a younger group – most of the MK Vets are marching with the skop-him-out brigades.
POSTED 12h43 >>>>>>>>>>>
Community Leader Mark Hyman:
When cabinet ministers now go on international investment Road shows, we shall call the trips junkets.
I support #BlackFridaySA
As a gesture of solidarity with all South Africans who believe in the great potential of our country!
South Africa’s global wealth eroded in the past four days ‘I would venture that the minister of finance can almost do whatever he likes; the problem is beyond him”
It raises the cost of borrowing, and cost of borrowing has become a growing item in our budget line items. And with higher interest rates that will come about because of the downgrade – and that’s on international as well as domestic debt – that cost of borrowing means more of our budget now will be allocated to paying interest expenses, and that interest expense is crowding out – to use the economic or text-book terminology desperately needed spending, such as the promotion of small and mid-sized enterprises, infrastructure spending and of course social welfare budget allocations. The obligation to service your debt gets in the way of all of those other much-needed expenditure items.
Pretoria goes marching – Karieme Brown, political commentator says it is good to see maturing democracy with intellectual speakers rather than toyi-toyiing and singing about machine guns.
Political commentator Angelo Fick says it is good to see that there is control (for the most part) where pro-Zuma and #ZumaMustFall groups. Undoing the incompetence and ‘irregularities’ of previous seven years may take more than seven years to undo.
BREAKING LIVE NEWS
eNCA senior reporter Aneka Larsen says she and other Cape journos discussing that CT has never seen the like of the thousands upon thousands surrounding Parly.
It is also notable that they represent all walks of life in CT – All say they want to see change.
And there are still masses on the match to Parly.
All races, all parties, “a little bit nebulous” she says as the various social, racial and income level marchers don’t really have leadership.
The City had given permission for 8000 marchers – just watching on TV there are lots more that 8k already at Parly.
POSTED 12h22 >>>>>>>>>>>
BREAKINGNEWS BREAKINGNEWS
BREAKINGNEWS BREAKINGNEWS
MMusi just ended emotive speech – audience in Mary Fitzgerald Square – huge audience of all races and parties very vocal in support of him.
Selfie from Howard Sackstein more pics to come
POSTED 12h15 >>>>>>>>>>>
BREAKINGNEWS BREAKINGNEWS
​Newtown in central Joburg – police firing rubber bullets to break up DA and ANCYL clash – one Youth League member injured – clash ongoing
MMusi Maimane: “I am so proud of SAs of all races and all colours and political parties, Thank you”
Pic just in from Howard Sackstein of Chief Rabbi amid marchers
POSTED 11h49 >>>>>>>>>>>
Pictures from users at Gautrain and Cape Town station – Cape Town march about to get on way to Parly, building surrounded by riot police, soldiers
Civil society
Among the many civil society activist groups getting involved in the protest on Friday, is the Organisation for Undoing Tax Abuse (OUTA, of toll fee fame). Of interest is that they, too, have many Jewish members. They have even opened a special page on their website where they are listing events as they hear about them and also giving advice as to what is legal and what isn’t when massing, marching and protesting.
Johannesburg socialite and entrepreneur Dina Diamond says she supports the #ZumaMustGo campaign because, she says, “the president jeopardises the economy.” Zuma, she says, “must not be given the privilege of holding such an office,” himself been found to be corrupt and not representative of his people.
Allan Wolman, well-known Joburg businessman, says he represents no constituency. He fully supports the call #ZumanMustFall as would any concerned citizen for all the reasons that civil society have voiced these past few days.
Monica Solomon also says she supports the #ZumaMustGo campaign because, she says, “it’s time for us to reclaim South Africa. There is no doubt it has been captured and if we don’t support this campaign now, then when?” She plans to join the marchers.
PE resident Larry Hide is also supporting the #ZumaMustGo campaign as he wants to see “an honest government, one that delivers to its people and puts the interest of SA and its citizens first.” Lasrry says that “Zuma and his cronies are putting their own interests first”.
Dan Brotman, 30, is a dual American-Israeli citizen and entrepreneur living in Cape Town for the past seven years. When he relocated “to a euphoric, post-World Cup SA,” says Dan, a US$ cost R7, SA had come out of the world economic crises “relatively unscathed, the EFF didn’t exist; and no one had heard of Nkandla.” Millennials are very mobile, he says, and choose to live wherever we can best maximise our potential… many of us will simply take our skills and vote with our feet”.
POSTED 11h40 >>>>>>>>>>>
Politicians
Jewish political leaders, old and new, have been adding their voices to the cacophony of calls for Zuma’s head.
Widely respected as the senior active Jewish politician, Jack Bloom, told Jewish Report: “It is important at this time of national crisis that all sectors, including Jews, unite in protest and call for the resignation of President Jacob Zuma.” Bloom, who is Gauteng’s shadow health MEC, says that “there is a clear-cut moral issue – our country is not for sale! I urge everyone to sign the petitions and join the marches and other activities to show where we stand.”
Darren Bergman, a member of Parliament and former Johannesburg City Councillor for many years, said: “Although Jacob Zuma has been the best weapon for the DA, we need to put the interest of the country first.” The sooner the country could “stop President Zuma and the current slide to junk status,” said Darren, “the better it will be for all citizens of this beautiful country.” Bergman said he “will support all marches that call on the resignation of the president, provided they are peaceful…”
Likudnik Mike Fisher called on the ANC cadres “to have the courage to vote out their corrupt leader” and to stop their blind support of Palestinian terrorists, against all morals or consideration of human rights.”
POSTED 11h04 >>>>>>>>>>>
Previous JR Online live blogs: SAJBD – Citizen Cohen
The 2014 Cape Council of the SAJBD – CLICK FOR LIVE POSTS from Sunday’s annual conference of the Cape Council of the SA Jewish Board of Deputies. Both the theme and content of the conference “Citizen Cohen – Our past; Our present; Our purpose!” has been carefully chosen to suit the times. SA Jewish Report Online is here and live blogging for those in Cape Town, around South Africa and globally – who can’t attend but would like to follow the proceedings…
POSTED 10h54 >>>>>>>>>>>
A grass-roots group emerged on Monday evening was a Facebook page called ‘chains4change’ which is hosted by activists Brenda Stern and Joclyn Katzen. Within 12 hours of putting up their Facebook page, says Brenda, chains4change had already had confirmed protests taking place at: Bree/Wale Street Cape Town, Alice Lane and West Streets Sandton, Grayston Drive, Huddle Park and various schools. The idea is that for people who are not marching, to simply get together and make small human chains.
They already have many more and members of the Jewish community are meeting and forming groups continuously. “Any chains happening in London on Friday?” asked Natalie Jaff Barnett this morning (they are).
Joclyn Katzen will be involved in what seems will be a large gathering at Huddle Park on Friday. “We will line the streets to form a human chain to peacefully call for the end to corruption that is robbing us and our beautiful country of a bright future.” Says Joclyn. “Together, South Africa will rise!”
Rolene Marks, an expat South African living in Israel, a journalist, blogger and radio personality (and member of the World WIZO executive), says “It is deeply distressing as an ex-pat to see what Zuma is doing to the Rainbow Nation by firing and re-shuffling members of his cabinet at will and making decisions that have dire consequences for South Africans.” Rolene, who regularly visits SA, adds that Zuma “is fast destroying a democracy that people fought and died for and turning it into a dangerous, intolerant dictatorship.”
POSTED 10h40 >>>>>>>>>>>
Mosiuoa Lekota talking in Pretoria right now and complaining that the security forces are there and that this represents a reminder of pre-democratic rule in SA
FIRST POST 10h30 >>>>>>>>>>>
It seems that the roads around the country are as quiet as Christmas day in Glenhazel and that SAs are either in the stay-away or at a march. All quiet on the home front. Feel free to add your own comments below
Jill
April 7, 2017 at 10:01 am
‘Down with Zuma. He should be in jail, not in our government. We want moral leadership in South Africa!’
Mordechai
April 13, 2017 at 4:33 am
‘Surely the decision for Zuma to go rests with a)the voters at the ballot box when the next election is held or b) with the ANC to decide by a majority that Zuma should step down and be replaced… is that not democracy
The protests are a nice fuzzy feeling that the community gets. The violence started long before Zuma, the free fall of the economy started long before Zuma…and at that time the entire SA Jewish community had no problem holding the leader of the time, one Nelson Mandela as the coming of the SA Messiah. If anyone thinks that the replacing of Zuma will make one bit of difference to the future of SA and in particular the Jewish community keep dreaming. The only answer for the SA Jewish community is to LEAVE NOW, and don’t listen to your self serving Rabbinic leaders who are only looking after their best interests and not yours. Any Rabbi telling you to stay does not cate about you or your childrens future, otherwise every Friday night and Shabbat drosha would be to plead for you to leave’
Mordechai
April 13, 2017 at 4:35 am
‘Jill, like you had moral leadership in SA with Zuma’s predecessors ?’
David B
April 20, 2017 at 8:47 am
‘Be careful what you wish for , as the wheel is turning towards Nkosazana Dlamini- Zuma who could very well be worse , or at best, more of the same ! ! ! !’
David B
April 27, 2017 at 3:01 am
‘Be careful what you all wish for —
If J Z gets what he is wishing for , Dlamini Zuma will be his successor and she is very busy ingratiating herself in his image with his supporters – so it may look like an improvement but may simply be more of the same with no difference to the level of commitment just the pockets it fills – and she would come in with relatively empty ones’