Jacob Zuma is facing massive protests after culling critics from his cabinet in a midnight reshuffle. A quarter of the country is unemployed and two ratings agencies have downgraded South African debt to "junk" status.
More than 30,000 South Africans protested across the country on Friday, calling for President Jacob Zuma to stand down.
Police fired rubber bullets and tear gas at Zuma supporters in the streets of Johannesburg as they attempted to reach peaceful backers of the opposition Democratic Alliance (DA) party, who had called the protests.
"Today is just the start. Many more marchers are coming. We will continue until ... South Africa is back to where it belongs," DA leader Mmusi Maimane told a crowd in Johannesburg.
Several thousand protesters gathered outside the government seat in Pretoria, while another crowd demonstrated outside parliament in Cape Town, chanting: "Zuma must fall!"
Calls for Zuma's resignation ramped up after he sacked respected Finance Minister Pravin Gordhan as part of a cabinet shake-up. The overhaul announced at midnight included 10 ministerial changes, clearing out many of Zuma's critics.
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http://www.dw.com/en/south-africans-protest-against-zuma-violence-hits-johannesburg/a-38340766