Zuma Booed and May Day Speech Cancelled While Ramaphosa Endorsed Again
ANC leaders – including the President of South Africa – were booed at Cosatu May Day rallies in Bloemfontein, Durban and Polokwane on Monday. Watch videos below. President Jacob Zuma was forced to leave the rally in Bloemfontein, where he had been due to address workers, after they turned on him… heckling and singing anti-Zuma songs. […]
ANC leaders – including the President of South Africa – were booed at Cosatu May Day rallies in Bloemfontein, Durban and Polokwane on Monday. Watch videos below.
President Jacob Zuma was forced to leave the rally in Bloemfontein, where he had been due to address workers, after they turned on him… heckling and singing anti-Zuma songs. The Bloem rally and all speeches were subsequently cancelled as officials battled to calm the crowds – with violent clashes erupting between Zuma supporters and opponents.
At least four Cosatu affiliates had written to the federation ahead of today’s event, to bar the president from addressing workers, following its resolution that President Zuma must resign.
ANC National Chairperson Baleka Mbete and Deputy-General Secretary Jessie Duarte were also booed. Crowds in Durban chanted ‘Gupta’ as Mbete tried to talk; and hundreds in Polokwane, Limpopo, booed Duarte when she was introduced.
However, Deputy President Cyril Ramaphosa – endorsed by Cosatu as their preferred candidate to take over from Zuma – received a hero’s welcome at the rally in Hectorspruit, Mpumalanga. He said Workers Day is an important day that many in South Africa fought for, and that workers have the right to join their unions of choice.
“Anyone has the right to join a union,” said the Deputy President to loud cheers from the crowd. He was wearing his National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) jacket and cap from when he was a secretary of the NUM.
Cosatu First Deputy President James Tyotyo further backed Ramaphosa by saying: “He will not steal government money. Government will not build him a house because he already has his own house. As Cosatu we want to repeat it today, we say the president must step down because on a daily basis he commits blunders. His blunders will make us lose the elections in 2019.”
Cosatu General Secretary Bheki Ntshalintshali also said at the Gauteng rally that the workers want Ramaphosa to be president.
Watch President Zuma heckled at Cosatu’s main May Day event
Watch Baleka Mbete in Durban
Hand gestures in ignoring Mbete now. Shockingly she is still continuing @News24 #MayDay pic.twitter.com/aMCA2Cmx2F
— Kaveel Singh (@kaveels) May 1, 2017
Chants of Gupta as leadership try to calm the crowd who rejected Mbete @News24 #MayDay pic.twitter.com/l5HwL6rYNc
— Kaveel Singh (@kaveels) May 1, 2017
Baleka Mbete responds to people booing her and chating Gupta when she spoke @News24 #MayDay pic.twitter.com/Up0ECe50Fc
— Kaveel Singh (@kaveels) May 1, 2017
Watch Jessie Duarte in Limpopo
COSATU workers in Limpopo boo and erupt in song against an address by Jessie Duarte #WorkersDay #sabcnews pic.twitter.com/b3r3andkdZ
— Katlego Nyoni (@katlego4ever) May 1, 2017
Mantashe’s spin on things:
WATCH #WorkersDay Mantashe on main Cosatu rally in Bloem "Where I was in Jhb everyone spoke. It was a good May Day" @Slindelo_M pic.twitter.com/rLmUDtu48K
— Jacaranda News (@JacaNews) May 1, 2017
A large group bearing a NUM banner have arrived, singing that Zuma and Sidumo Dlamini must go. @TimesLIVE #MayDay2017 pic.twitter.com/Ov38kXzFLM
— Kyle Cowan (@CowansView) May 1, 2017
Chants of 'Zuma Must Go!' at #MayDay2017 rally in Bloemfontein. @TimesLIVE pic.twitter.com/5tDBx6u0o9
— Kyle Cowan (@CowansView) May 1, 2017
Ramaphosa was warmly welcomed:
https://twitter.com/tshepimoche/status/859013702502293504
Deputy President @DPRamaphosa addressing the #Media during the #WorkersDay Celebrations in Mpumalanga. #SABCNews pic.twitter.com/35m5A8Lp5t
— Abongile Dumako (@AbongileDumako) May 1, 2017