THREE separate protests in Pretoria demanded resignation of the President Jacob Zuma yesterday.

The marches and rallies in the country’s administrative capital were originally called in protest at criminal charges against Finance Minister Pravin Gordhan.

But those charges were dropped on Monday.

But protesters decided to go ahead with the demonstrations anyway, turning their focus on Mr Zuma.

They also demanded the release of former public protector Thuli Madonsela’s report into “state capture” by the super-rich Indian Gupta family, which was published last night by order of Judge Dunstan Mlambo.

Mr Zuma had sought to delay the publication, but his lawyer announced yesterday that the president had dropped his objections and offered to pay the costs for the hearing.

A spokesman for the ruling African National Congress (ANC) said that it welcomed the decision to publish.

The report alleged that the Guptas held undue influence over Mr Zuma’s cabinet choices.

The Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) held an overnight vigil in the city before marching through the streets, lighting fires in the road.

EFF leader Julius Malema threatened the police if they took action against his march.

“There is no army, there is no-one who can tell us to leave Pretoria,” he blustered.

“The streets of Pretoria belong to us.”

The main opposition Democratic Alliance party held its own separate protest.

The South African Communist Party (SACP) called off a demonstration in support of Mr Gordhan on Monday.

But on Tuesday night, the party announced that its second deputy general secretary Solly Mapaila would speak at the Save South Africa (SSA) campaign’s “People’s Assembly” rally at the Anglican St Albans cathedral in Pretoria.

Apartheid-era boycott-busting musician Johnny Clegg sang for the small gathering of SSA supporters outside the cathedral, who waved placards reading: “Hands off our state” and “our money.”

SSA backer the Open Democracy Advice Centre lists US millionaire George Soros’s Open Society Foundation and Britain’s Department for International Development (DfID) as funders on its website.

When asked why Westminster was backing attempts to overthrow the government of a Commonwealth nation, DfID told the Morning Star that it no longer funded the organisation.