President Cyril Ramaphosa had to be whisked away to safety when a Workers’ Day rally turned ugly following unruly mining workers who booed him as they stormed the stage in the mining town of Rustenburg in South Africa’s North West province on Sunday.
The president was expected to give a keynote address at the Congress of South African Trade Unions (Cosatu) rally in the city but was forced to leave as angry workers staged a noisy protest demanding higher wages.
The Sibanye-Stillwater gold mine employees, on strike for three months, are demanding a US$67 annual salary increase but the mine has instead offered them $53, which they have rejected outright.
The disgruntled workers said they could not allow Ramaphosa to address them until he dealt with their chief concern plus other grievances which they said were known to the president.
The Cosatu rally had delayed for more than five hours as the labour federation struggled to fill seats at the Royal Bafokeng Stadium in the city – until the protesting workers arrived that the programme began – but soon turned chaotic as Ramaphosa was preparing to take the stage.
Chants of “You Must Go” filled throughout the stadium as workers drowned out Ramaphosa’s voice.
“We have heard you,” Ramaphosa responded, adding that the US$67 annual increase demand was noted and would be addressed soon.
But the workers continued to chant and push their way towards the stage. This was the time when Ramaphosa was whisked away and taken to a police vehicle which drove him away to safety.
NM/jn/APA