South Africans have taken to social media to voice their displeasure at President Jacob Zuma’s shock announcement to remove Nhlanhla Nene as finance minister. Within 24 hours, the hashtag #ZumaMustFall was trending, while a Facebook page to organise a peaceful march had been set up.
A Facebook #ZumaMustFall event was created on Thursday to announce a peaceful march to the Union Buildings in Pretoria on December 16 at 10am.
In the short time it has been created, 3 500 people have confirmed attendance with 5 500 Facebook users indicating they were interested.
Facebook user Sir-Mosimanekago Mokae was listed as the person who had created the event.
The event description says: “With the recent revelations in South Africa. [Where] the President is just running his own show this is a march all South African’s who are concerned with the way SA is going are [you] going to Stand Up and Say Enough With Nkandla, SABC, SAA President #ZumaMustFall [sic]”
Comments on the event have mostly been positive. Facebook user Kirsten Sarah Saunders said: “I’m seriously interested in joining this.”
Another Facebook user, Graham Anthony Keith Gersbach added some reality to the mix: “It might be too short notice for a march. They normally request an application for permission two weeks beforehand.”
Naomi Bütow hoped the march would target a wider audience: “Please add venues for other cities in SA.”
Meanwhile, some expat South Africans took to social media to not only voice their concerns but to also express their awe at the drastic fall of the rand. Some even mockingly commended Zuma for the move.
One expat living in Kuwait said: “When the ZAR is at R49.78 to the KWD [Kuwaiti Dinar]… well done Jacob Zuma.” Another said: “Thanks Mr Zuma! You are the man, albeit for yourself and inadvertently the expats.”
Twitter was one of the first social media forums abuzz with South Africans commenting on the news, using the #ZumaMustFall hashtag to vent.
User, Bongani, @Comm_Bobo said: “It is obvious that Zuma hates us. Zuma has never shown any love for this country.”
Another Twitter user, @Amil_Umraw, added: “Today we rant on Twitter, tomorrow we forget. A tyrant is only as powerful as the inaction of his people allow him to be.”
User @_RuanNolte, said: “It’s time for South Africa to wake up! NOW is the time to realise the power we have in standing together.”
Zuma made the shock announcement late on Wednesday after removing Nene as finance minister and replacing him with the relatively unknown David van Rooyen. The rand subsequently dropped to a record low. Analysts and political commentators have described the move as Zuma’s riskiest with foreign and domestic investors rethinking the South African market. — News24
