By Giordano Stolley
Supporters of embattled African National Congress president Jacob Zuma marched on 16 Durban police stations on Friday to demand that charges against him be dropped.
The marches, announced last week by the ANC's eThekwini region, were followed by the handing over of memorandums detailing the party's demands, including the dropping of charges by the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA).
In KwaMashu, several tyres were set alight along the march route, with about 500 protesters singing songs and carrying banners.
A police officer was booed when he removed a burning tyre from the road, while a photographer was threatened as he tried to take pictures.
Supt Danelia Veldhuizen said about 300 people had gathered in Umlazi, Durban, and marched down Mangosuthu Highway, blocking it.
Superintendent Jay Naicker said that by noon marches to Chatsworth, Cato Manor, Amanzimtoti and Mariannhill police stations had been completed without any major incidents.
He said police estimated that 2 500 people attended those four marches, with 1 000 people marching on the Amanzimtoti and Mariannhill police stations.
Naicker said protests also took place at the KwaMakutha, Point and Montclair police stations, where an estimated 700 people turned up.
He said it appeared that there had been no march on the Bluff and Umbilo police stations.
Inspector S'bu Sithole said that about 500 people marched on the Hillcrest police station. "Some carried traditional weapons, but it was peaceful," he said.
Durban's mayor, Obed Mlaba, was one of those who marched on the Hillcrest police station. He said the march was peaceful.
ANC regional secretary general John Mchunu said he was happy with the outcome of the marches.
"It went very well. It has definitely achieved what we wanted," he said.
The ANC has said the marches will be followed in a week with pickets outside and, where possible, inside 11 magistrate's courts in the greater Durban area.
After the protests outside the court buildings, a protest was being planned for September 10 outside the NPA offices in Durban.
On the night before Zuma finds out whether Judge Chris Nicholson has ruled in his favour to have the decision to charge him declared unlawful, protesters will converge on Pietermaritzburg's Freedom Square (formerly Market Square) for a night vigil.
Zuma faces a charge of racketeering, four charges of corruption, a charge of money laundering and 12 charges of fraud related to a multi-billion rand arms government arms deal.
The two Thint companies - Thint Holding (Southern Africa) Pty Ltd and Thint (Pty) Ltd - are the South African subsidiaries of the French arms manufacturing giant Thales International. They each face a charge of racketeering and two counts of corruption. - Sapa