This may have been the day
Zuma’s premier league friends find themselves unable to swim against the tide
The May Day rally was supposed to be the moment where President Jacob Zuma cashed in on his rhetoric to demonstrate that he was still the champion of SA’s workers. The setting was supposed to be favourable: a May Day rally in Bloemfontein, heartland of premier Ace Magashule, a member of the "premier league", which had stood by Zuma through thick and thin. At Zuma’s side was another loyal lieutenant, Sdumo Dlamini, the Cosatu president. Cosatu had not too long ago announced that it wanted Zuma to go, but thanks to Dlamini he had been invited to address the rally as its keynote speaker. What could go wrong? Well, quite a lot, actually. By the end of it, nobody — not Zuma, not Dlamini, not any ANC leader — had been able to address the rally. What Cosatu and Zuma had not factored in was the extent of grassroots dissatisfaction with Zuma and the way the union leadership were behaving. Dlamini’s efforts to rouse the crowd with the usual slogans ("I am alive!" and "Amandla") merely led to ...
Would you like to comment on this article?
Sign up (it's quick and free) or sign in now.
Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.
Subscribe now to unlock this article.
Support BusinessLIVE’s award-winning journalism for R129 per month (digital access only).
There’s never been a more important time to support independent journalism in SA. Our subscription packages now offer an ad-free experience for readers.
Cancel anytime.
Questions? Email helpdesk@businesslive.co.za or call 0860 52 52 00. Got a subscription voucher? Redeem it now.