The people's march will be used to demonstrate South Africa's anger at President Jacob Zuma, social justice activist Mark Heywood said on Wednesday.

"He is a man that is corrupt and has been corrupted. He is a man who is answerable to criminal and other networks, but not to the Constitution and to the people of South Africa."

Civil society and political parties would on Friday march to the Union Buildings from Church Square in Pretoria to call for Zuma's resignation. This followed his Cabinet reshuffle, during which he axed ministers including Pravin Gordhan and his deputy, Mcebisi Jonas.

Representing Save South Africa, the Treatment Action Campaign, and Section27, Heywood said South Africans would not realise the dream of equality under a president like Zuma.

"We will be a country with the worst schools, hospitals, and higher unemployment. We have to stop the capture of the Treasury and of other institutions by an unelected, unanswerable and often faceless elite."

Appeal to join

He assured South Africans that the march would be peaceful and that nobody should feel afraid to join. It was a legal event and they would collaborate with the South African Communist Party. The party's members would arrive at Church Square around 10:30 after having walked to the Treasury's offices to hand over a memorandum.

Everyone would go to the Union Buildings from there, he said.

He appealed to public servants to take Friday off and join the march, and asked employers not to penalise anyone who wanted to take part.

"This is a people's march, not a political party march. People from political parties of all persuasions will be marching with us," he said.

Peggy Pillay, of Johannesburg Against Injustice said: "We are saying Zuma must go and he must go today."

Organisation Undoing Tax Abuse's Ben Theron said all 55-million South Africans were affected by the way Zuma was running the country.

"Enough is enough. We have to take our freedom back," he said.

'Zuma must go'

Sharon Ekambaram, of Lawyers for Human Rights, said they were calling for solidarity with vulnerable people who were suffering because the country's democracy was not working.

"Zuma is the obstacle and Zuma must go."

Elias Mogoru, of the Forum for Service Delivery, said the organisation pledged its support to Save South Africa.

"The government of Jacob Zuma is not delivering services to our people. We have been here since Monday and we will continue to do so until the president resigns."

Progressive Student Movement president Kgothatso Ramotswa said they would not let "intellectual thugs" act with impunity.

"Zuma has failed. He does not trust the education system in this country. You will never find his grandchild in a public school.

"There is nothing that Zuma has done which is good for South Africa. We will be there on Friday to eject him from office."