Scores of aggrieved pupils from various schools in Tshwane have flooded the streets of Pretoria to march to the Unions Buildings.
The crowd is led by the Congress of South African Students who sought a national shutdown to demand food security in foreign owned spaza shops, the release of #FeesMustFall activists, among other demands.
The crowd marched under heavy police watch from the Bosman Street train station to Burgers Park and have just arrived at President Cyril Ramaphosa's offices.
People started running out of the way as they saw the crowd of pupils marching with a heavy pace and singing struggle songs that were sang by students during the apartheid years.
Scores of Congress of South African Students members flooded the streets of the capital. Video: James Mahlokwane
The pupils are set to deliver a memorandum to officials at the Unions Buildings, highlighting their demand for lower data costs, improved safety in schools, school fail audits and the incorporation of African languages into the curriculum.
They also want government to urgently address the backlog in schooling infrastructure that threatens their ability to learn at appropriate levels the same as pupils in private and model-C schools.
At least 2000 of these pupils have just settled under the shadows of the trees on the lawns of the Union Buildings for a rest.
A heavy police presence deployed to contain the situation. Video: James Mahlokwane
The leadership is expected to address the crowd and read a memorandum before giving the students marching orders to return home safely.
Pretoria police watching the streets are hoping that the students can conduct themselves orderly on their way home to avoid the chaos that erupted in one of their previous demonstrations, prompting the police to fire rubber bullets towards those who acted unlawfully.