International media has focused on tensions within the country after crowds at the FNB Stadium booed and heckled Zuma on 10 December.
Sections of the crowd booed Zuma when he made his entrance, while cheering for former presidents Thabo Mbeki and FW de Klerk.
Throughout the service crowds booed Zuma each time he was featured on the big screen, and again when he took to the podium to address them.
The choir broke into song to muffle the booing, while the close to 90 statesmen in attendance appeared perplexed.
Programme director Cyril Ramaphosa had to stop the speeches by international dignitaries to reprimand the crowd and call on them for discipline.
During his closing of the service, Archbishop Desmond Tutu also reprimanded the crowd, saying “I want to show the world we can come out here and celebrate the life of an extraordinary icon… you must show that world that we are disciplined.”
International media had since begun reporting on South Africa’s political terrain.
“The scene, at Tuesday’s memorial service for Mandela, doesn’t appear to bode well for Zuma and the ruling African Nation Congress
party. Next year, they will face what could be the country’s most competitive election yet,” reported the Washington Post.
The newspaper also reported on Zuma’s corruption investigation over the renovations to his Nkandla residence in KwaZulu-Natal, adding that “there is growing criticism that the ANC is ineffective, corrupt and out of touch with the hardships faced by South Africa’s poor”.
The Huffington Post published a Reuters report describing the incident as “a major public humiliation in front of other world leaders six months before national elections”.
It also referred to “violent labour unrest and protests over persisting poverty, crime and unemployment” that Zuma and the ANC government had faced. “South Africa remains one of the most unequal societies on the planet,” it said.
Meanwhile, there were mixed reactions to the hostile outbursts against Zuma on social media.
@FaredaVandeKaap tweeted, “Booing #Zuma – when will S Africans grow up? Show your anger at rallies + marches or better still, at the ballot box, not memorials.”
@NelioDeSa shared those sentiments tweeting, “Booing of #Zuma at #MandelaMemorial was uncalled for & bad image for us citizens, South Africans should rather Boo at Voting Poles instead.”
However a majority of Twitter users were in support of the crowd’s reaction.
@shamznoor tweeted: “Yesterday the boo of #Zuma was good I thought about it, Let the world see what kind of man is this. #Nkandla give back. #MandelaMemorial”
@markusgschwari tweeted: “The booing is what gives me hope and makes me proud of SA. We don’t bring out the AK toting goon squads. We change presidents. #Zuma.”
