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| Version 1 | Version 2 |
|---|---|
| South African President Jacob Zuma: Protesters racists | South African President Jacob Zuma: Protesters racists |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| South African President Jacob Zuma has branded protesters calling for his resignation "racists", saying they held placards that were derogatory about black people. | South African President Jacob Zuma has branded protesters calling for his resignation "racists", saying they held placards that were derogatory about black people. |
| Thousands of people took to the streets after he sacked the finance minister. | Thousands of people took to the streets after he sacked the finance minister. |
| The latest protests were organised by the opposition Democratic Alliance which some see as white dominated. | The latest protests were organised by the opposition Democratic Alliance which some see as white dominated. |
| "The marches that took place last week demonstrated that racism is real and exists in our country," he said. | "The marches that took place last week demonstrated that racism is real and exists in our country," he said. |
| Zuma plays the race card - By Milton Nkosi, BBC News, Johannesburg | |
| Many South Africans have said President Zuma is blatantly playing the race card on an issue-based protest against his own defective style of leadership following a near catastrophic cabinet reshuffle when he sacked the much respected Finance Minister Pravin Gordhan. | |
| His decision was swiftly followed by two credit ratings agencies downgrading South Africa to junk status. | |
| This caused many people - black and white - to come out onto the streets in their tens of thousands, including many from his party the ANC, calling for Mr Zuma's resignation. | |
| Unfortunately for the president, more protests are planned for Wednesday - his 75th birthday. | |
| Opposition parties have vowed to keep the pressure on. He will increasingly find it difficult to use race as an excuse. |