Hundreds of people gathered at Vuyisile Mini Square in front of Port Elizabeth City Hall on Tuesday to call for President Jacob Zuma to resign.
The gathering was organised by Save South Africa, which said they're also busy organising a big march on Friday from Treasury to the Union Buildings.
And, according to Save SA's Sipho Pityana, it will be the biggest march that President Jacob Zuma has ever seen.
Addressing the crowd during the lunch-time rally, Pityana turned to the legacy of Vuyisile Mini, after whom Market Square was renamed.
Pityana said that Mini, an ANC cadre, had died at the gallows in Pretoria at the hands of the apartheid government.
He said Mini had died to set South Africa free.
"I pledge myself and I invite you to do the same, that none of us share neither effort nor strength to ensure that his blood (Mini) and the blood of many others like him who sacrificed their lives will be in vain," Pityana thundered.
Pityana also said that Mini and other ANC cadres had inspired many South Africans to join the struggle for liberation.
He said many fought as different races, believing in a non-racial South Africa.
Pityana said the struggle was won to determine the destiny of the nation as free citizens, but the activist businessman, said that now that is under threat.
"That is what is confronting us today. A leader whom we elected to be a president of our country, representing Vuyisile Mini's political party and whose role in liberating our country we cherish, has arrogated to himself and himself a lone a prrerogative and an illegitimate right to sell our hard won freedom and right to self-determination to the Guptas and their clique of corrupt and greedy cronies in exchange for money for himself, his family and his friends," Pityana said.
Meanwhile, in a statement on Tuesday the government "expressed its disapproval" of a reported nationwide shutdown on Friday, in protest against President Jacob Zuma and corruption.
The campaign, which went viral over the weekend, called on everyone stay away from work or do anything .. unless they will be in the streets protesting.
Government's Acting Director-General, Donald Liphoko, said that "government takes notes that the public has a right to protest, however it does not support any violent acts".
Liphoko said the message was meant to bring South Africa into disrepute and to disturb the economy.
He said anyone found guilty of violence will face the full might of the law.
