Cape Town – President Cyril Ramaphosa was reportedly whisked away from a Cosatu Workers’ Day rally in North West after mining workers booed him and stormed the stage.
Ramaphosa was scheduled to give a keynote address at the Cosatu rally in Rustenburg.
According to News24, angry workers left their seats in the Royal Bafokeng Stadium, Phokeng, and marched to the stage, with a police cordon doing little to stop them.
[ON AIR] President Cyril Ramaphosa trying to calm the angry Sibanye-Stillwater workers. #DStv403 pic.twitter.com/2LN6JOulGK
— eNCA (@eNCA) May 1, 2022
The workers, who had been striking at Sibanye-Stillwater demanded an increase of R1 000.
Ramaphosa and Cosatu president Zingisa Losi tried to address the crowd but their attempts proved futile as workers would hear none of it.
“You want your R1 000.
“I understand that. You want the employers to give you R1 000. We’ve heard your message, and we will be dealing with that matter,” Ramaphosa said, as he tried to address the workers but he was booed.
BREAKING: The president @CyrilRamaphosa whisked away as protesters demanded that he leaves. @Newzroom405 pic.twitter.com/2LVyOg6knP
— Pelane Phakgadi (@PelaneM) May 1, 2022
Times Live reported that the workers have been on a three-month-long strike.
They were believed to be employees at Sibanye Stillwater’s gold mines, and were currently striking for higher wages.
They demanded a R1 000 annual salary increase after they rejected an R800 annual increase
The disgruntled workers said they could not allow Ramaphosa to address them until he dealt with their salary concerns, which they said he knew about, the report said.
The president was later whisked away from the stadium by police and his security after the workers demanded that he leaves, The Citizen reported.
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Source: AFP
Picture: Twitter/PresidencyZA
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