Pretoria – Save SA convenor Sipho Pityana on Monday warned that the group's activists were prepared to fight against so-called state capture, in the same way they fought against the apartheid regime.

"Our country, our freedom is not for sale. We will not allow it. We will fight it to the last drop of our blood. We are prepared to put on our boots all over again get back to the trenches and fight in a way that many of our young people today cannot remember," Pityana told hundreds of Save SA protesters at the National Treasury in Pretoria.

"They are taking this freedom for granted. They look at us and they think we've just arrived. We were there in the trenches when this freedom was fought for. We fought and defeated apartheid. We will fight and defeat the Guptas. We will fight and defeat Zuma and his cronies."

Pityana said the #OccupyTreasury movement was bringing together South Africans from different political parties and from all walks of lives. Activists have been protesting outside the National Treasury building since Friday, after President Jacob Zuma reshuffled his Cabinet and replaced Pravin Gordhan as finance minister with Malusi Gigaba. Pityana said the "late night" Cabinet reshuffle was tantamount to stealing the nation and citizens must fight to reclaim it.

"He stole our nation and we must fight to reclaim it. We call on the leadership of the African National Congress to tell Jacob Zuma to step down. If he refuses to step down, the ANC cannot have any justification anymore for refusing to support a motion of no confidence by public representatives in Parliament. We must make it clear that there is no excuse anymore. Remove Jacob Zuma," said Pityana to applause.