NATIONAL NEWS - Hundreds of African National Congress (ANC) members have joined the party’s military veterans association outside Luthuli House on Friday morning in support of President Jacob Zuma, while Democratic Alliance members have also come out in their numbers in central Johannesburg, calling on the president to step down.

The demonstrations come after a controversial Cabinet reshuffle and the country’s credit rating downgrade to junk status.

Buses from KwaZulu-Natal have dropped off members of the party’s MKMVA who are lining up and have formed a barrier around the ANC headquarters.

The military veteran’s wing in KwaZulu-Natal did indicate earlier this week that it would deploy 600 combat-ready former guerrillas to defend the party’s headquarters.

They said they would defend Luthuli House against what they called the enemy marching to demand Zuma’s resignation.

ANC spokesperson Khusela Sangoni says they know about this gathering.

“I think as members of the ANC, we regard, particularly the march by the Democratic Alliance, as sending signals of an organizational that is contemptuous of the African National Congress and its leadership.”