Calls on Prez Zuma to step down as S Africans mark Mandela Day

As millions of South Africans today marked 99th birth anniversary of Nelson Mandela there were also renewed calls for embattled President Jacob Zuma to step down over his alleged links to tycoons.
More than 100 civil society organisations, including the Ahmed Kathrada Foundation, named after Mandela's long-time fellow political prisoner and confidante who died in March this year, held a joint meeting here where speakers renewed calls for Zuma to step down.
The 75-year-old president has come under pressure for the past two years now following revelations of alleged state capture through his links with the wealthy Gupta family, originally from India.

In Cape Town, highly-acclaimed former South African Indian-origin finance minister Pravin Gordhan, during a panel discussion on radio station 702 about Mandela's legacy called for Zuma to step down to allow the country to fulfil the aspirations of Mandela.
Zuma fired Gordhan a few months ago amid the huge public outcry about the decision bringing about a serious downgrade in South Africa's status by international ratings agencies.
Gordhan said Mandela as the first democratically elected president had a sense of purpose that was non-negotiable.

"For a country that has produced a Madiba - and by that, I mean not just the individual, but that collective of leaders - we should be ashamed of ourselves in terms of how we are attempting to conduct ourselves in leadership terms today," Gordhan said.

Also in Cape Town, almost 1,000 people participated in a walk from the Grand Parade, where crowds gathered to listen to Mandela's iconic speech delivered from a balcony at the City Hall in 1990 after his release from prison, to the Cape Town International Convention Centre (CTICC) to celebrate Mandela Day.
At the CTICC, the 10th anniversary of a group set up by Mandela known as 'The Elders' was marked with the launch of the 'Walk Together' movement, which aims to continue the work started by Mandela to bring about peace and respect for human rights globally.
Amid all the political activity, individual and organisations undertook huge feeding scheme projects and distribution of clothing and blankets on one of the coldest days of the winter in many areas of South Africa.

Despite all the frenzied participation in community activities for which many corporates allowed staff to take time off from work, the Nelson Mandela Foundation called on all South Africans to make every day a Mandela Day through a renewed commitment to making a sustainable difference in the lives of those less fortunate.
"As we go out to plant gardens, build houses or feed pupils, we must know that it does not stop there; July 18 is the start of taking action, not the end. We want South Africans and people around the world to commit to long-term, sustainable projects that will tackle poverty," said Chief Executive of the Foundation Sello Hatang.

July 18 was declared as Mandela Day by the United Nations in 2009. The revered leader, regarded as the father of the democratic nation, died in 2013.