President Jacob Zuma was in Ventersdorp in the North West addressing hundreds of pupils and students dressed in school uniform on Friday. Zuma arrived at the hall to give his speech to commemorate the Youth Day public holiday honouring the Soweto uprising of 1976, and according to News24, he received mixed reactions. Some cheered, while others booed.
While he was speaking, a few pupils and older people in attendance interrupted him and shouted: "Zuma must fall".
#YouthDay President Zuma's speech has been disrupted by a group of people chanting "Zuma must go". HM pic.twitter.com/h6xk4ZZ5nH
— EWN Reporter (@ewnreporter) June 16, 2017
Some of those people were dragged out of the hall by security. This man below, Meleko Mejave, was one of them. Mejave said Zuma was useless. He said he was not interested in what Zuma had to say because he was a "liar' and wasted money that was supposed to be going toward service delivery on dealings with the Guptas.
#YouthDay As #Zuma continues inside Meleko Mejave (who was removed from the tent for chanting #ZumaMustFall) speaks to media @ray_toerienpic.twitter.com/3hwy1yYwgb
— EWN Reporter (@ewnreporter) June 16, 2017
The interruption did little to affect the president's address. He paused for a short moment but carried on with his speech as planned.
Zuma spoke about the biggest issues facing young people in South Africa, unemployment and poverty. He also said the government was concerned by the high rates of HIV infection among youth.
He wooed the crowd with a few Setswana phrases to the delight of the crowd.