President Cyril Ramaphosa is expected to meet with the group of about 40 women blocking the entrance to the Union Buildings as the #TotalShutdown protest continues.

The group have refused to leave the seat of government in Pretoria and have blocked off the entrance to the building on Government Avenue.

Ramaphosa’s spokesperson Kusela Diko confirmed in a tweet that the president would be coming to collect the memorandum.

“#TotalShutDown President @CyrilRamaphosa was not in town today. He was never scheduled to receive the memo. However, he’s just received the news that the women who marched are still at the UB. He is making his way there now,” Diko said. 

Earlier today, thousands of women took to the streets in Pretoria to march against gender-based violence and femicide. However, they were left angry when Ramaphosa was not present to receive the memorandum and jeered Naledi Pandor, the minister of higher education. The minister was not given a chance to address the protesters and was told to "voetsek". She turned back as the women shouted “voetsek. We want Ramaphosa. They are using women [Pandor] as always.”​

About five police officers were almost crushed against the gate as the women pushed with all their might to gain access.  A police officer managed to push back as his colleagues used pepper spray to get the women off the fence.