The supporters of former president Jacob Zuma have attempted to interrupt President Cyril Ramaphosa’s presidential imbizo in Ackerville, Mpumalanga by bursting into song, singing “wenzeni uZuma” (what has Zuma done).
The song has been one of Zuma’s rally over the years, along with other Struggle songs such as uMshini Wami.
Upon Ramaphosa’s arrival, uMkhonto WeSizwe Party (MKP) members made their way to the marquee at the Sy Mthimunye Stadium in Ackerville in a bid to interrupt the imbizo.
However, as a counter to the MKP chants, a woman could be heard singing on the loud speaker, Ramaphosa siyak’thandda, which loosely translates to we love you Ramaphosa.
This incidents comes in the week that the MKP leader Visvin Reddy threatened violence if the Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC) did not make it to the ballot.
New political parties are required to furnish around 50,000 signatures, which will enable them to get on the ballot paper for the May 29 elections.
One of the new parties, Mmusi Maimane’s Build One South Africa, announced it would be on the ballot after it garnered 140,000 signatures. The deadline for the signatures is Friday.
The ANC has condemned MKP’s threats of anarchy, riots, and the disruption of elections were not only reckless but also posed a direct threat to the institutions of democracy and the people of South Africa.
The IEC has also urged political parties to refrain from violence.
Ramaphosa sent a stern warning to those threatening a civil war if a “certain party” was not on the ballot paper.
“Anyone who is threatening any form of unrest will be arrested, those are people who belong in jail, they are the enemies of our democracy.
“The people of South Africa value this hard-won democracy and don’t want any form of instability and we have always followed the rule of law,” he told the media.
Ramaphosa has since addressed and engaged with the people of Mpumalanga at the Imbizo.
He has also conducted a site visit and inspection of the newly constructed Middleburg Hospital.