The removal of the “Zuma Must Fall” banner from the Cape Town CBD has shown the true colours of “thugs” who supported the president.

This is according to the #ZumaMustFall movement, who on Sunday said by tearing down the banner, President Jacob Zuma’s supporters have given the movement a powerful tool.

The #ZumaMustFall movement’s Marian Frances Geddy said their membership spiked overnight following the removal of the banner.

She said she refused to believe it was true African National Congress members who had removed the banner.

“The ANC that gave us freedom would never have done that. This is not the ANC we know. Those individuals that broke into flats carrying knives and cut off the banner were nothing but thugs who supported [Jacob] Zuma.”

The large banner was put up in the Cape Town CBD on Friday morning.

It hugged one side of a block of flats at the top of Long Street, on the corner of Kloof and Buitensingel streets.

It was removed on Saturday by African National Congress supporters and members, who used knives and various sharp objects to tear it off.

Frances said the thuggery shown by those members had done wonders for the movement against Zuma.

“They were animals. Thank you for showing us your true colours,” she said.

She also thanked ANC MP Bongani Mkongi for growing support for the movement by taking to Facebook on Saturday calling for the banner to be burnt down, along with the building it was on.

He later apologised.

“The support for the movement, and more marches, has grown as a result of the past weekend’s events,” Frances said.

On their Facebook page, the #ZumaMustFall movement said the banner had done its job.

In a self-congratulatory message on its Facebook page, the movement said the banner lasted longer than they thought it would.

“The billboard survived for 27 hours. Several more hours than some expected, despite what those that sought its removal believe. The power of the billboard rests in its first hour of existence when it was shared over 1.4 million times on social media,” the movement said on Saturday evening.

They said the billboard’s impact had superseded expectations.

“Zuma supporters stormed the residential building armed with knives, broke into apartments and accessed the roof where they systematically cut and tore the billboard from the building and mercilessly targeted the innocent residents with violence,” they said. News24