JOHANNESBURG, April 12 South African President Jacob Zuma said he was not stressed by calls for him to resign and urged his supporters to ignore the criticism directed against him, hours after more than 30,000 people marched in the capital demanding he quit.
Zuma invited much controversy after he sacked Finance Minister Pravin Gordhan amid a sudden cabinet reshuffle, leading to worldwide rating agencies downgrading the country's status to junk and a free fall of the South African rand.
We thank the patriotic South Africans who are coming out in numbers to oppose Zuma's corruption, recklessness and self-enrichment in mass action across the country, including yesterday's National Day of Action.
The president would later take part in his 75th birthday celebrations at a public venue in the township of Soweto, near the commercial hub of Johannesburg.
His party, the African National Congress (ANC) organised a celebratory rally to be held at the Walter Sisulu Square in Kliptown.
Gordan's removal sent South Africa's rand currency plummeting and last week two ratings agencies downgraded South Africa's sovereign debt to junk status.
"You know, we're all from ANC (African National Congress political party) but you know what, we are sick and exhausted for this Zuma", said a protes-ter, sakhi Khayi.
Zuma's firing last month of Finance Minister Pravin Gordhan in a Cabinet reshuffle intensified concerns about the direction of the country.
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Wrapping up his speech, Zuma said: "If tomorrow you (ANC) say that I should step down, I will do so with a pure heart".
"The opposition are doing their job, don't be anxious", he told his supporters in the Zulu language.
Zuma has easily survived previous parliamentary votes against him due to the ANC's majority. The demonstration is a backdrop to the motion of no confidence vote in Zuma next Tuesday. The past two weeks' enormous groundswell of protest action against Zuma, along with this growing petition, show that Zuma must go.
Opposition parties requested the delay.
"Even if we are five the message will be conveyed that Zuma is causing havoc".
"We must salute these leaders because when we are united, we will never be defeated by an illiterate president", he said.
"The people outside Gauteng who can't make it to the march, they must pick busy streets with homemade placards, stand in solidarity and demand for Zuma to step down", said EFF spokesperson Mbuyiseni Ndlozi. Opposition parties marched on Wednesday to call for Zuma's dismissal, and Parliament may debate a motion of no confidence in the president pending the conclusion of an application to the country's top court seeking a secret ballot.
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