Zuma booed, Cosatu rally is called off

Serious wake-up call for ANC-led tripartite alliance, says Blade

THE COLLAPSE of Cosatu’s May Day rally that President Jacob Zuma was to address yesterday, was the ultimate wake-up call for the ANC-led tripartite alliance, SACP leader Blade Nzimande said. “I think it’s sad, it’s really sad. I think we should really see this as the ultimate wake-up call because, in essence, if we don’t arrest this we will be judged very harshly as the generation of leaders who allowed the alliance to collapse…

“But we are still going to go back and discuss this matter properly…,” Nzimande added.

The rally collapsed after Zuma arrived to boos and heckling from members of Cosatu-affiliated unions. Zuma was meant to speak, but Cosatu decided to cancel his speech and those of other alliance leaders, due to the anti-Zuma sentiment.

Marshals had their hands full trying to break up physical altercations between the pro-Zuma and anti-Zuma sections of the crowd. Zuma had earlier arrived smiling and shaking the hands of alliance leaders, with several of his supporters shouting “Zuma, Zuma, Zuma”.

Later on as chants of “Zuma must fall” reverberated through the Loch Logan Park, the president, seated between Cosatu president Sdumo Dlamini and Nzimande, rubbed his forehead before appearing glum as he folded his arms while viewing the rowdy crowd.

Police had to step in to prevent union members from pushing through a barricade erected between the crowd and the marquee where the president and other officials were seated. Zuma was whisked away by his bodyguards when it became clear the crowd would not let him speak.

Both Cosatu and the SACP have called for Zuma to step down following his sweeping cabinet reshuffle in March, which saw the sacking of former finance minister Pravin Gordhan.

Free State Premier and ANC leader in the Free State Ace Magashule described yesterday’s event, which he attended, as a deliberate attempt to embarrass Zuma.

“This was actually planned, staged to embarrass the whole leadership. There are people who have planned it. I’m told by some comrades here that people who are even more vocal and disrupting this (gathering) are not from this province. We have taken our own videos, we will be analysing (them). Tomorrow we are meeting with the alliance officials,” said Magashule.

“I know this was a national event, but I’m just saying people in this province are quite disciplined. This is an embarrassment, but we have fought for this freedom. We have fought for the workers’ rights.”

Magashule had a message for leaders in the tripartite alliance incorporating the ANC, SACP and Cosatu: “(To) those who are stage-managing us and going out into the media as if they don’t have internal debates, we are saying: You are causing a mess for this country.”

Magashule was however adamant that the “masses” love Zuma. “The people are still in support of Jacob Zuma.”