THE Congress of the People (Cope) applauded South Africans for coming out in their numbers to support the march calling for President Jacob Zuma to step down.
In a statement for release, spokesman Dennis Bloem said Cope was highly motivated and encouraged by what it witnessed on Friday as thousands of South Africans took to the streets.
“We are encouraged by the determination and steadfastness of the thousands, black and white, who took to the streets, ignoring the intimidation and threats that came from the ANCYL and other ANC aligned thugs, to deal with those who dare to march against Zuma,” he said.
He said at the height of apartheid, the government of the time unleashed vigilante groups to attack, intimidate and disrupt marches. “The ANC is deploying the very same dirty tactics similar to that of the apartheid government. Paranoid Jacob Zuma and his securocrats have assembled a private army called MKVA to intimidate and instill fear into anyone who wants to voice opposition against his (Zuma’s) misrule,” Bloem said.
He also tore into the Black First Land First (BLF) saying the party was a “Zuma/Gupta sponsored vigilante group”. Bloem alleged BLF was making chaos in the presence of the police with no action taken against its members adding similar occurences took place during the dying days of apartheid SA. “The ANC must know that yesterday was just the beginning of bigger things to come. The moral campaign to remove Zuma will be intensified over the next few days and weeks. On Wednesday next week political parties, including Cope, will march to the Union Buildings to demand Zuma’s removal from the Office of State President.”
Bloem said thousands of people would gather outside Parliament when MP’s debate a vote of no confidence in Zuma on April 18. “Congress of the People wants to assure the ANC that their vigilante groups will not stop the march to freedom, they can kill a few of us but not all of us. Victory is certain, Zuma will go,” Bloem said.