7th April Pretoria protest and gathering at Church Square is still on

Whilst the civil society action groups work on getting the necessary approvals to march onto the Union Buildings, in Pretoria on Friday 7th April, the protest gathering at Church Square from 09h00 will still be taking place and permission has been granted for this to happen.

The only issue still being addressed and seeking legal approval, is the march to the Union Buildings. By tomorrow morning we will know what is happening with the march element, but the show of solidarity will still take place in Church Square and civil society leaders will be speaking on stage at that venue.

“OUTA encourages all Gauteng citizens to still come through to Church Square in Pretoria on Friday morning. Come prepared with water, hats and comfortable walking shoes, in case the march goes ahead to the Union Buildings. Whatever the decision on the march, the picture of thousands of citizens with placards protesting in Chruch Square against Zuma’s regime will send a strong message to the ruling party that the nation will not back off on this issue,” says Wayne Duvenage, OUTA’s Chairperson. We also encourage people to come out of their places of work at midday to display their posters. The bridges over the highways are also great gathering points to wave at the passing traffic.

To all others involved in protest marches around the country, we encourage you to thank those in authority who have displayed moral courage to approve these marches, and the hundreds of leaders who have organised these protests. The energy surrounding this call to show a unified display of people power through this Freedom Friday protest is incredible. It will certainly reverberate around the entire country and to many nations who are watching us around the world.