Group chants ‘Zuma must fall’ at Ventersdorp Youth Day commemoration

Update

President Jacob Zuma was on Friday morning booed by a group of young people who attended the main Youth Day commemoration in Ventersdorp, North West.

Just as the President was about to start presenting his keynote address, a group of students started chanting “Zuma must fall”.

The group was quickly ushered out of the venue by bodyguards.

This was the second time in less than three months that Zuma was booed. The last time Zuma was booed was at the May Day rally, organised by the trade union federation Cosatu in the Free State, where planned speeches were also called off as per a demand by workers who also said Zuma must not be allowed to attend or address Cosatu workers’ events.

Cosatu, following a central executive committee meeting, announced that it resolved following a meeting not to allow the president to attend or address its future events.

Meanwhile, in attendance at the Youth Day event in Ventersdorp, is North West premier Supra Mahumapelo, who is also close to Zuma.

Earlier

Reports are coming in that the schoolchildren at the Ventersdorp Youth Day commemoration on Friday booed President Jacob Zuma as he took to the stage and shouted, “Zuma must go” and “Zuma must fall”.

The African News Agency further reported Zuma was heckled as he started his Youth Day speech with a group of people chanting: “Zuma must fall”.

The chanting forced Zuma to pause for few seconds.

The group was later removed from the giant tents erected at the sports ground in Tshing in Ventersdorp.

Zuma had earlier arrived to a rousing welcome as the crowd stood and waved as he walked into the tent, flanked by Arts and Culture Minister Nathi Mthethwa and North West premier Supra Mahumapelo.

Zuma told the crowd the youth of today were faced with poverty and unemployment.

The crowd, mostly made up of schoolchildren dressed in their different school uniforms, stood up and waved as Zuma made his way to the stage, waving to the crowd.

The schoolchildren were bused in from various areas of the North West province.

Mahumapelo told the gathering that residents of Ventersdorp, black and white, were working together to rebuild the small town, once known as a seat of the far right movement, the Afrikaner Weerstands Beweging (AWB).

“Our people, black and whites, have come together to take this small dorpie [town] forward under the municipality called JB Marks,” he said.

Earlier

The schoolchildren started filling up two giant tents erected on a sports ground in Ventersdorp ahead of the Youth Day commemoration on Friday.

Access to the venue in Tshing was being strictly controlled, with cars searched at the entrance to the township. No cars were allowed to park near the gate to the sports ground. Cars with special permit tags were allowed to park on the sports field.

Skies were clear, with no wind. In December last year, a tent collapsed during a wind storm in Gopane in Zeerust, while President Jacob Zuma was addressing a Reconciliation Day event in the village. He was unhurt, and was whisked away by his bodyguards.

The atmostphere was festive as the schoolchildren danced to music.

A cultural group enacted the events of June 16, commemorating the brave acts of Soweto children in 1976 who under the apartheid regime, fought against the government’s decision to teach black schoolchildren in Afrikaans.

Four screens in the tent will broadcast the proceedings.

President Jacob Zuma addressed the gathering.

– African News Agency (ANA)

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