By Hassan Isilow
JOHANNESBURG (AA) – A South African labor group was forced to cancel its main Workers Day celebrations Monday after crowds booed President Jacob Zuma when he arrived at the event.
Thousands of union members dressed in red T-shirts were seen heckling Zuma in a televised event calling for his resignation in the central city of Bloemfontein.
Zuma was due to address the main event but organizers had to cancel it after a scuffle broke out between his supporters and opponents.
Cosatu or the Congress of South African Trade Unions is one of the key allies of Zuma’s ruling African National Congress (ANC) party.
Executive members of the union recently called for Zuma to step down after he replaced key ministers leading to tumbling markets and the loss of millions of dollars.
Several protests have been held across the country demanding the resignation of the 75-year-old leader. He says he won’t resign unless his party asks him to leave.
Zuma, who came to power in 2009, has been accused of corruption but survived several no-confidence votes in parliament thanks to the ANC’s majority in the National Assembly.
South Africa’s parliament will soon debate a new no-confidence motion against Zuma.
The ANC, which fought for the liberation of South Africa from white-minority rule, has been in power since the dawn of democracy in the country in 1994. The party is accused of shielding corrupt leaders and being divided along factions.
