ANC leader Lindiwe Sisulu has said the booing of President Jacob Zuma should never be regarded a normal act.
Sisulu‚ who is a member of the ruling party's national executive committee and also human settlements minister‚ was speaking to reporters on Wednesday on the sidelines of the Military Veterans Housing Dialogue in Boksburg.
Zuma was booed by supporters of trade union federation Cosatu at a May Day rally in Bloemfontein on Monday.
He left without addressing the workers.
“Whatever it was‚ it just wasn’t good‚” Sisulu said.
“I think I would like to see an ANC that is able to express itself without taking away the dignity of anybody. I believe it could have been better done‚” she said.
She said that if workers felt they did not want the president to address them‚ they could have sent a delegation to informing him of their wishes. In the worst case scenario‚ they could have walked away.
“Things repeated too often become a norm and you don’t want to go into the future with this kind of possibility — a head of state being dealt with that way‚” Sisulu said.
“Booing the head of state is not the kind of norm our children should grow up with‚” she said.
“There has just got to be some semblance of dignity around a head of state and I just feel if they really didn’t want him‚ they should have taken steps‚ gone to him directly and said‚ Mr President‚ please don’t come.”
Zuma has brushed off the incident‚ saying workers were simply exercising their democratic right.
Sisulu said SA had hit rock bottom.
“We have been through this situation before. Yes‚ it is the worst‚ but things do get worse before they get better‚” said Sisulu‚ who is also human settlements minister.
Previously‚ when the party showed cracks‚ it was always able to mend itself‚ Sisulu said. The same had to happen this time around.
“It cannot get worse than this. We really are almost rock bottom. We can only go up now‚” Sisulu said.
She said that the ruling party could not lose its position until it had delivered on all its promises to South Africans.
“We have an election to win in 2019. That is our target because we have got to make sure all the promises we have made to our people‚ we deliver. It has taken people’s lives to get to where we are. We owe it to them to hold this ANC intact until we have delivered to the last of the clauses we have in the Freedom Charter‚” Sisulu said.
While she has been reported to be a candidate for the ANC presidency‚ Sisulu said that those who wished to be in the running should follow proper protocol.
About certain members seemingly campaigning for themselves ahead of the December congress‚ Sisulu said this was unprecedented.
“I think this is a first of its kind. We had always accepted that there is a certain way of doing things. You wait until the policy conference. After the policy conference‚ then you open the gates for people who want to stand‚” she said.
Source: TMG Digital
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