Zuma faction vows to ‘boo Ramaphosa’
Supporters of South Africa’s President Jacob Zuma have vowed to “boo back” after the embattled leader was booed off stage by workers demanding his resignation at a May Day rally on Monday, the local Business Day newspaper reports.
Deputy President Cyril Ramaphoa – who is a contender to succeed Mr Zuma – would be targeted as the president had been booed in his name, the newspaper quoted the leader of the governing African National Congress’ youth wing, Collen Maine, as saying.
According to the newspaper Mr Maine, a key ally of Mr Zuma, said:
We are going to boo Ramaphosa back and it won’t be nice. We are going to make life difficult for him. We are going to boo him in an ANC meeting before we boo him at a rally.”
Mr Zuma abandoned the rally after workers chanted “Get out” and sang “Have you heard the good news? Zuma is going”.
Last month, the main trade union federation, the Congress of South African Trade Unions (Cosatu), called for his resignation after he sacked widely respected Finance Minister Pravin Gordhan, leading to global rating agencies downgrading South Africa to junk status.
Mr Zuma has refused to step down, saying he will continue pursue his policy of “radical economic transformation” to benefit the poor black majority.
The opposition has repeatedly accused him of being corrupt, and says the reshuffle was aimed at giving him and his allies greater access to government money.
Mr Zuma has been dogged by allegations of corruption for more than a decade.
Last year, a court ruled that he should face corruption charges over a 1999 arms deal.
Mr Zuma is appealing against the ruling.
In a separate case last year, South Africa’s highest court ruled that he had breached his oath of office by failing to repay government money used to upgrade his private residence.
Mr Zuma is due to step down as leader of the ANC in December, and as South Africa’s president in 2019.
His ex-wife Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma and Mr Rampahosa are vying to succeed him in both positions.
Source: BBC
