JOHANNESBURG - Thousands marched through the streets of South Africa's cities on Monday to demand that President Cyril Ramaphosa resign, as security forces guarded malls and roads to prevent violence and looting.

The Marxist Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) party, whose supporters are mainly poor and working class Black South Africans who feel marginalised since the governing African National Congress (ANC) ended white minority rule in 1994, had called for a national shutdown.

"Today, we've got an appointment with the streets. We are not going to run. We are not going to do anything. We just walk nicely and raise our concerns," leader Julius Malema said in front of a large crowd gathered at Church Square in Pretoria's city centre before marching to the Union Buildings where the president has his offices.

A Reuters TV crew saw protesters shouting and waving banners saying "Ankole must go", referring to Ramaphosa's love for the Ankole cattle breed.

In the central Woodstock area of Cape Town, most of the shops and banks were operating normally, however, there was a notable increase in security personnel along the thoroughfare.

In the commercial hub of Johannesburg, many shops were shuttered and businesses closed in anticipation of possible looting.

Retailers such as Shoprite only had only one door open for customers and their metal gate shutters were partially pulled down.

South African security forces said on Monday that 87 people had been arrested in the last 12 hours over public violence ahead of planned protests.

A video seen by Reuters showed police firing stun grenades and teargas at a small crowd of protesters on Sunday night in Johannesburg's central business district.

Of the eighty-seven arrests, 41 were in Gauteng, the province which includes the capital Pretoria and the main city Johannesburg, 29 were in North West province, and 15 in Free State, National intelligence body NatJOINTS said in a statement, adding that there had also been arrests in other provinces such as Mpumalanga and the Eastern Cape.

Parliament said in a statement on Sunday that the South African military would deploy 3 474 troops for a month until April 17 to prevent and combat crime in cooperation with the police.

"Law enforcement officers are on high alert and will continue to prevent and combat any acts of criminality," NatJOINTS said.