Workers shut Zuma up at rally
Officials call off speeches after union members chant ‘Zuma must go’ and target Cosatu president Sdumo Dlamini at May Day rally
Workers prevented President Jacob Zuma from addressing a Cosatu Workers’ Day rally in Bloemfontein — the first time an ANC president has been barred from speaking at a Cosatu May 1 gathering. In April, the union federation that helped bring Zuma to power called on him to step down, saying it no longer believed he was the best person to lead the ANC and the country. The National Education, Health and Allied Workers Union (Nehawu) and the Communication Workers’ Union — two Cosatu affiliates — said last week they did not want Zuma addressing the rally. Members of Nehawu, Cosatu’s biggest affiliate, the South African Democratic Teachers Union and the National Union of Mineworkers chanted "Zuma must go" as officials tried to get the programme under way. They also booed Cosatu president Sdumo Dlamini, which led to all speeches being cancelled. Political analyst Ralph Mathekga said it was significant that public servants were at the forefront of the call for Zuma to resign. "These are the ...
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