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South Africa's Jacob Zuma abandons rally after being booed | South Africa's Jacob Zuma abandons rally after being booed |
(about 1 hour later) | |
South Africa's scandal-hit President Jacob Zuma has abandoned a May Day rally after he was booed by workers demanding his resignation. | South Africa's scandal-hit President Jacob Zuma has abandoned a May Day rally after he was booed by workers demanding his resignation. |
Scuffles broke out between Mr Zuma's supporters and opponents, resulting in all speeches being cancelled. | |
The main labour federation, Cosatu, called on Mr Zuma to step down last month after he sacked his widely respected finance minister. | The main labour federation, Cosatu, called on Mr Zuma to step down last month after he sacked his widely respected finance minister. |
Mr Zuma has vowed to remain in office until his term ends in 2019. | Mr Zuma has vowed to remain in office until his term ends in 2019. |
He was seen on live television hastily leaving the podium and being whisked away in a motorcade from the rally in Bloemfontein city, Reuters news agency reports. | |
Mr Zuma attended the rally despite the fact that powerful affiliates of Cosatu, the Congress of South African Trade Unions, had opposed his presence. | |
Cosatu is part of a formal alliance with the governing African National Congress (ANC). | |
Earlier, sections of the crowd sang a song which, loosely translated, means: "Have you heard the good news? Zuma is going", South Africa's privately owned News24 site reports. | |
Cosatu leader Sidumo Dlamini said the rally had been marred been "chaos", forcing its cancellation. | |
The protest required "thorough reflection" on the part of the country's leaders, he said. | |
Senior ANC officials were also booed at a May Day rally in Durban city, the political heartland of Mr Zuma. | |
Pressure on Mr Zuma to resign has been mounting since he sacked Pravin Gordhan as finance minister in March. | |
It led to global rating agencies downgrading South Africa to junk status. | |
The reshuffle was condemned by trade unions, big business, the opposition and and senior members of the government, including Deputy President Cyril Rampahosa. | |
The opposition has repeatedly accused Mr Zuma of being corrupt, and says the reshuffle was aimed at giving him and his allies greater access to government money. | |
Mr Zuma said the reshuffle was aimed at promoting "radical economic transformation" to benefit the poor black majority. | |
South Africa's president 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. | |
He repaid the money, but rejected calls to sep down. | |
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. |