Johannesburg – ANC President Cyril Ramaphosa received a cold reception on the first day of the party’s 55th national elective conference at Nasrec, south of Johannesburg.
At the start of delivering his political report to the more than 4 500 delegates members from KwaZulu-Natal and half of Gauteng attending the conference heckled and bolted anti-Ramaphosa songs while they gestured with their hands for change.
One of the songs was sung “Weh Phala Phala wenzeni uZuma?” (Phala Phala What did Zuma do?) while they shouted “load shedding”, they had none of it as they continued to sing.
The party’s national chairperson tried to intervene and call for order, but the delegates would have none of it.
Mantashe pleaded: “Please note that if you want change, you would have to vote for it, but this is not the time yet. Let’s please behave.”
The late arrival of former president Jacob Zuma made matters worse, as some in the crowd chanted Zuma’s name in the middle of Ramaphosa’s speech.
As he began his speech, Ramaphosa pleaded with the delegates to behave at the conference as more delegates entered the plenary singing.
“This is not how we behave in this organisation. We are 110 years old, and we don’t behave like this. There will be a time for singing,” Ramaphosa said,
Only Limpopo tried to protect Ramaphosa during the chaos.
Ramaphosa is expected to face off with former health minister Dr Zweli Mkhize for the position of president.
Ramaphosa gets into the race for the presidency with a cloud hanging over his head regarding the Farmgate scandal.
He is accused of concealing a crime that happened at his Limpopo Phala Phala farm, where millions of dollars were allegedly stolen.
Pretoria News