South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, chased out of May Day celebrations under boos, acknowledged on Tuesday May 3 a general "
loss of confidence
", claiming to have "
heard
" the grievances of a middle class facing record unemployment.
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Read alsoSouth Africa: President Ramaphosa leaves May Day celebrations under boos
Chanting "
Cyril must go
" at the Royal Bafokeng stadium in Rustenburg (north) and demanding a wage increase, angry miners invaded the stage on Sunday where he was to speak at a ceremony organized by the largest trade union center of the country, the mighty Cosatu.
Framed by the police and its security service, Cyril Ramaphosa was quickly led out of the arena.
“A wider level of discontent”
“
I was unable to address the rally because the workers had grievances which they voiced loud and clear
,” the head of state said in his weekly letter.
“
While the main grievance appeared to be over wage negotiations at nearby mines, workers demonstrated a broader level of discontent reflecting a loss of trust in unions, their federations as well as in political leaders
,” he continued. , claiming to understand “
their frustration
”.
South Africa is the continent's leading industrial power, but its economy has been hit hard by the Covid crisis.
The pandemic has led to the loss of more than two million jobs in the space of
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Violent riots in July and unprecedented flooding in late April also rocked the country, causing widespread destruction.
Half of the population of nearly 60 million lives below the poverty line, according to the World Bank.
"
The working class and the poor are those who have suffered the most
," said Cyril Ramaphosa.
“
We are firmly committed to taking the necessary measures to improve their lives and working conditions
,” he pledged, without giving details of the measures envisaged.
Cosatu, close to the historical ruling party, the ANC, called Sunday's incidents "
regrettable and unacceptable
", while explaining in a statement that "
to some extent they reflect the growing frustration of workers in South Africa
".
The ANC, which fell below the 50% mark in a poll for the first time last year, must decide by December whether to keep Cyril Ramaphosa as its next presidential candidate in 2024.
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The anti-apartheid party "
is in an irreversible downward spiral and Ramaphosa is the chaperone escorting the ANC to the grave
," said South African political scientist Sandile Swana, interviewed by AFP.
In 2012, police fired on striking miners in Marikana (north-west), killing 34 in the worst police shooting since the end of apartheid.
Cyril Ramaphosa, then non-executive director of the Lonmin company which operated the platinum mine, had called for police intervention, accusing the miners of “
despicable criminal
” behavior .