South Africa's Opposition In United Front Against President

The protesters marched through the city and held a rally at a field outside the Union Buildings, the site of Zuma's offices.

Jacob Zuma, the South African stirred anger in the country after the last cabinet reshuffle. The latest was former public administration minister Ngoako Ramathlodi, who was following in the footsteps of a former energy minister, an ex-transport minister and a former deputy finance minister. Two credit ratings agencies downgraded South Africa to junk status following the move, so it's going to get more expensive to borrow money here, and food prices could rise.

The Pretoria demonstration drew as many as 30,000 people, police estimated.

Zuma thanked the party for hosting the birthday celebration for him, saying he is shocked the party did this for him.

A parliamentary motion of no confidence in the president is due on April 18 following the controversial sacking of respected finance minister Pravin Gordhan last month. Now, with Zuma stumbling and nostalgia-driven attachment to the ANC fading, some question that assumption.

Some top ruling party leaders openly criticized the decision. Is the image of a transformed South Africa that became one of the iconic political moments of the twentieth century now beginning to rapidly lose its value under the Zuma presidency?

"Don't be scared of them when you see them marching saying Zuma must go, but what has Zuma done", he said. "I can't see how anyone cannot see that he is critically destructive", said Maguire, who said she had no party affiliation.

"The debate on the no-confidence motion against Zuma will have to be postponed". Zuma disputed her report, but the opposition embraced its findings, branding the president "Zupta" because of his alleged ties to the family. He emphasised that the Pretoria march was not a once-off event. And opposition leaders made an effort to apply the lessons of the anti-apartheid struggle to their new political crusade.

"We need to make progress in black economic empowerment to promote true economic freedom", Zuma said.

"Those people are stressing out there and we are celebrating here", Maphatsoe said, adding that Zuma must "relax".

"We want Jacob Zuma to resign!" blared an Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) member outside Pretoria train station on Monday. "It belongs to you". "Intimidation of South Africans who choose not to join the protest will not be tolerated", he said during a media briefing on Tuesday.

The crowds included ANC supporters from Mpumalanga, Free State, North West and Gauteng.