Today, they came!

Picture: ANA

Picture: ANA

Published Apr 7, 2017

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Cape Town, Friday, 7th April, 2017

They came on foot, in buses and taxis .They also came in convertibles and million-rand minivans, drinking lattés. But still, they came!

Following the “joining of hands” processions that were held throughout the Peninsula, thousands of Capetonians assembled on Keizersgracht and proceeded to march to Parliament. They held posters, some amusing, some angry and some immensely obscene.

They were dressed in party-political colours, in office wear, casual wear and “on-our-way-for-cocktails wear" but they came to unite for one purpose – to show their unity about the current state of our country and the desire to see the back of President Jacob Zuma.

It was a surreal experience: Many of those, by virtue of their dress, age and the banners they displayed, were certainly veterans of many previous marches – perhaps for starkly different reasons than today’s. Many carried looks of anger and frustration, whilst others chatted excitedly, not unlike children on a school outing. But they came.

Moms, dads, kids and grandparents, retired folk, workers, students and scholars. They came together, they showed their unity, they voiced their frustrations in chants and sang songs in all languages that sent through a choir of opposition, demanding a change to the status quo.

And when it was done, when the gates of Parliament were reached, they gave a final huge voice to anyone who was listening that, like their allies around the nation, they will not go quietly, nor sit at home and throw abuse at the TV or the radio.

Today, they came!

* Alan Milne is Executive Producer of Multimedia at Independent Media.

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