#ZumaMustFall picketers gathered at the Durban City Hall on Thursday afternoon to protest against what they believed was the ‘incompetency’ of President Zuma.
The sit-in protest, which was publicised widely on Facebook, drew a substantial crowd, although it was soon apparent that not everyone supported the event.
Tension mounted as the crowd became divided by race. The #ZumaMustFall protestors stood silently with their placards while a single spokeswoman lambasted Zuma’s failed promises via her loudspeaker.
Observing the protest was a growing crowd of onlookers, who dismissed the speaker with shouts of “Go! Go! Go!”.
While carguard, Jason Mane, commented that the speaker was very strong in what she said, bystander’, Sandile Mbhele, was uneasy, saying “We’ll never be happy without a black president.” Sifiso Bigela echoed these views, suggesting that this is going to send us back to the days of apartheid. “I don’t mind who the leader is, as long as it’s someone we can be proud of,” said protest organiser, Greg Robertson.
Barack Obama and Tokyo Mosima Sexwhale were mentioned as ideal presidents: “As statesmen, we need someone with an understanding of the economy – someone who understands the needs of the people.”
A Durban lawyer who wished to remain anonymous remarked that there was ‘anger from both sides’ and that no one was listening to each other: “One side is saying ‘politics’, the other side is hearing ‘race’.” There was no political representation by the EFF or DA.
Racial division was obvious when a line was literally drawn. The police tape which separated the protesters from the Zuma supporters was deemed unnecessary by an onlooker, who chided that it was ‘the worst thing they could have done’. The pro-Zuma toyi-toying and dismissive chanting reportedly began after the police tape was erected.
Observing the anti-Zuma protestors was Lynne Fairclough, who said that the protest had become ‘a race thing’. Sifiso Mngdi, however, deemed the protest itself to be ‘racist’. Fairclough said that she had decided not to join the anti-Zuma protestors because the racial division had rendered the protest ‘pointles’ and she had found it more interesting to talk to the people in the crowd.
Despite the outcome of the protest, anti-Zuma campaigner, Annamarie D’unienville, was encouraged, saying that she had gained a better understanding of how the Zuma supporters perceive her. “What I’ve seen today is an insult,” said Sifiso Mngdi, who called the protest ‘a sign of desperation’. Mngdi, who comes from a Cato Manor squatter camp, lamented that Zuma was elected by the poor majority and that the affluent anti-Zuma protesters didn’t speak about the ‘poor people’ when they criticised the economy.
According to a post-protest Facebook update, it’s not over for the #ZumaMustFall campaign. And while activists and fanatics flounder in the recalcitrant grey area of politics, race remains black and white.
