Cosatu, ANC blame booing troublemakers

COSATU, the ANC and ANC Youth League (ANCYL) in the Northern Cape have distanced themselves from the disruption of the May Day Rally in Bloemfontein on Monday.

President Jacob Zuma was forced to leave without delivering his speech.

Several people in the crowd booed the president and chanted “Zuma must fall” and “Zuma must go”.

The SACP, Cosatu and the South African National Civic Organisation previously indicated that Zuma was not welcome in Bloemfontein and called for him to step down.

However, Free State Premier Ace Magashule as well as ANC Free State spokesperson Thabo Meeko and the Free State spokesperson for the ANC Youth League Makalo Mohale, blamed “troublemakers who were bused in from Kimberley” for causing the chaos and embarrassment on Monday.

Cosatu’s Northern Cape provincial secretary, Anele Gxoyiya, yesterday denied that any workers from Kimberley were involved.

The ANC’s national spokesperson, Zizi Kodwa, lamented that all speeches had to be cancelled at the Bloemfontein event.

“There were also reports of incidents in KwaZulu-Natal and Limpopo. Regrettably, the significance of May Day was reduced by the unacceptable conduct of those who chose disorder and intolerance.

“As a result, the important issues of workers’ rights and the advancement of a living wage and decent work were overshadowed by narrow factional interests,” Kodwa said.

“Public displays of disunity broker no victors and only serve to weaken the alliance as a whole.”