#Other countries : South African President Cyril Ramaphosa hastily left the May Day celebrations on Sunday following angry miners demanded the departure of the head of state and invaded the stage on which he was to speak.
Chanting “Cyril must go”, the protesters held up signs demanding a wage increase during a ceremony organized by the country’s largest trade union body, the powerful Cosatu, at the Royal Bafokeng stadium in Rustenberg (north), and broadcast to television.
The police quickly formed a cordon to push back the crowd of several dozen men and women with raised fists or making explicit gestures to demand money, leading to jostling.
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South Africa is the continent’s leading power, but its economy has been hit hard by the Covid crisis, and the unemployment rate is at record highs of 35%. This tension in the labor market has recently fueled strong anti-foreign sentiment with sporadic protests.
Dressed in his usual leather jacket in the colors of the ANC, the historical ruling party, the head of state tried to address the minors but he was greeted by boos. Supervised by the police and their security service, he was quickly led out of the stadium.
Contacted by AFP, the police said “not to speak on security issues concerning the presidency”.
Cosatu, which brings together more than two million workers, is close to the ANC.
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The mining sector, in decline, nevertheless still contributes 8% of the national wealth and employs 450,000 people. It is regularly plagued by strikes by miners who denounce their “exploitation” by large groups and demand better wages.
In 2012, police fired on strikers in Marikana, killing 34 in the worst police shooting since the end of apartheid.