The organisers of Friday's planned national shutdown have renewed their appeal to ANC leaders to join their action at persuading President Jacob Zuma to step down. As much as the protest seems to be gaining support, issues of race are coming into play especially on social media. Could this march see both black and white people unite for a common goal or will race be used to paly on people's minds?

Parliament has scheduled a debate on the Motion of No Confidence in President Jacob Zuma for the 18th of April. In a statement Parliament says that the speaker received several letters from parliamentary political parties requesting an urgent scheduling of a motion of no confidence in the President.

Market analyst, Nerina Visser of ETF SA looks at South African markets as last day and a half has been dominated by discussions around credit ratings, so I think today we should focus on other issues, preferably good news stories! Tell us about petrol prices, vehicle sales figures for March was released on Monday, but I guess it got somewhat ignored due to other news. What did we learn about the state of the motor industry and transnet unveiled what has been termed the 'first locomotive to be designed, engineered and manufactured in Africa...

The ANC Stalwarts have joined calls for President Jacob Zuma to step down. This follows a recent downgrade by ratings agency Standard and Poor after Pravin Gordhan was fired as the Minister of Finance. The stalwarts have spoken strongly against the manner in which the decision to remove Gordhan was taken. We spoke to Chairperson of the ANC Stalwards, Dr Mongane Serote and International Union of Psychological Science president and former Robben Island prisoner, Dr Saths Cooper...

Finance Minister, Malusi Gigaba has acknowledged that the recent credit downgrade by ratings agency Standard and Poor's is a setback. Gigaba has urged South Africans to unite in order to reignite the country's economic growth. While addressing members of the media in Pretoria on Tuesday says he has not been able to meet with former minister Pravin Gordhan. Our reporter, Amina Accram reports

President Jacob Zuma's supporters have launched a scathing attack against senior ANC members who became critical to the president following last week's cabinet reshuffle. President Zuma has been widely condemned by civil society, political parties and some within the ANC for changes to his executive. He amongst others replaced former finance minister Pravin Gordhan with Malusi Gigaba. The ANC youth league has lauded the move saying bringing in younger leaders in government will fast track delivery of government programmes. Senior political journalist Amos Phago reports.

Lesotho's former Prime Minister and leader of opposition All Basotho Convetion - Tom Thabane - has appeared in the Maseru Magistrate's Court to be charged for saying the country's King Letsie III should know that he can be removed. Thabane made the statements following the proclamation of elections by the King, where he said the King shouldn't have followed the advice of the Prime Minister. But Thabane is defiant, he says the case is politically motivated Nthakoana Ngatane reports.

Pressure is mounting on President Jacob Zuma to step down. The ANC stalwarts and veterans are the latest to call on the president to quit both as head of state and head of the governing party. This followed just three hours after Cosatu impressed on the ANC to recall its president. Last Friday, another alliance partner, the SACP, made a similar call. Ntebo Mokobo has more.

We look at S&P decision to downgrade South Africa's long term foreign debt to sub-investment grade rating,the road ahead with Fitch and Moody's and how fair is talk of dismissing credit ratings agencies as instruments of privilege, protecting so-called "white monopoly capital", that they are corrupt?

Ratings agency Standard and Poor's has downgraded South Africa to junk status. The rating change follows a cabinet reshuffle that saw finance minister Pravin Gordhan and his deputy Mcebisi Jonas removed from the Treasury. S&P held an emergency meeting over the weekend after perceptions were created that the move was intended to push through a one-trillion rand nuclear deal and to bail out entities like the SABC and SA Airways. The move weakened the rand against major currencies. In December, the S&P kept the country's sovereign credit rating at one notch above junk status.