Luthuli House march goes ahead but Ramaphosa vows to fight for the soul of the ANC

Some supporters and members of the ANC on Friday marched to Luthuli House to demand the removal of party leader Cyril Ramaphosa.

The march to the party’s Luthuli House headquarters started moments after Ramaphosa addressed the SACP’s elective congress in Ekurhuleni on Friday morning.

The march, which was scheduled to begin at 10am, was delayed and only started at around noon. It is believed the reason for the delay was because they were still waiting for other participants from the North West province to arrive.

According to one of the organisers of the march, Carl Niehaus, the march was just the beginning of a series of planned rolling mass action in different parts of the country.

ALSO READ: Niehaus: Friday’s march to Luthuli House, the first of many against Ramaphosa

Besides calling for Ramaphosa to step down, the march was also about the ongoing electricity crisis in the country as well as the rising cost of living.

In his address at the SACP’s congress, Ramaphosa appeared to be unshaken by the growing calls for him to step aside.

“We are in the fight for the soul of the ANC and we will not backdown… We are also in the fight for the survival of our democracy.

“I want to do my work and I will not allow for it to be distracted,” Ramaphosa said.

Meanwhile, spokesperson for the Johannesburg Metro Police Department (JMPD), Xolani Fihla, said there were about 150 people who took part in the march.

Some of the marchers held banners and placards reading: “CR must fall” and “CR+Looters”.