Zuma: ‘Booing part of democracy’

South Africa’s President Jacob Zuma says he has no problem with the fact that he was booed at a May Day rally on Monday, as the country is a democracy – not a dictatorship.

“You will agree in a country of dictators, there will be no protests, no booing,” Mr Zuma told journalists, in his first comments over the incident.

“In a country where there is no democracy, there will be an angry president [ordering] the police to arrest these people,” Mr Zuma added.

Workers booed Mr Zuma, and called on him to resign.

In his response, Mr Zuma said: “I am very happy that South Africans have matured in democracy and they have a president they can talk to [about] whatever is in their minds. They are not going to be arrested or harassed.”

He appeared to rule out the posbilty of stepping dwn, saying taht in a democracy leaders were voted into and out of office.

Mr Zuma has been under pressure from a wide range of groups – including trade unions, big businesses, opposition parties and members of his own party – to resign.

He has been dogged by corruption allegations throughout his presidency, and caused an uproar by sacking his respected finance minster in March.

Mr Zuma denies any wrongdoing.

He is due to step down as leader of the governing African National Congress (ANC) in December and as South Africa’s president after the 2019 general election.

Mr Zuma is the fourth president South Africa has had since the racist system of apartheid ended in 1994.