Channel: AP Archive

Category: News & Politics

Tags: cyril ramaphosasouth africa may dayap archivezingiswa lositshiamo diolebb206af27ffb43cbb0ae983f8ab0e5bdsocial affairssouth africagovernment and politicsgeneral news4377909patriarch kirillsouthern africa

Description: (1 May 2022) RESTRICTION SUMMARY: ASSOCIATED PRESS Rustenburg - 1 May 2022 1. Wide of disgruntled workers running onto the pitch as police try to stop them 2. Various workers singing on the pitch 3. Various of workers pushing back against police on the pitch 4. Various of workers calling for South African President Cyril Ramaphosa to leave 5. SOUNDBITE (English) Tshiamo Diole, South African Democratic Teacher's Union (SADTU) member: "We are workers, we are resolute and that, if they don't give us an increment workers here, all, all of us here. Those who are not insourced, those are not getting increments, we are going to hold this country - not Gauteng, not North West - but the whole country ungovernable because all workers in northwest, all workers in Gauteng, in Cofimvaba, in Limpopo, they are speaking the same language, they want an increment. If they continue with that, workers will not allow them. We are willing to die for the workers. We are not going to die for the leaders but we are dying for the workers, because that's what we have been fighting for." 6. Wide of workers calling for Ramaphosa to leave 7. SOUNDBITE (English) Zingiswa Losi, President of Congress of South African Trade Unions (COSATU): "So what we saw today is inevitable, and perhaps it is good that it happened because other things could be hidden from us. From other leaders. But what we saw is there is a real issues that workers are dealing with in the workplace, which calls for COSATU as a federation that is hosting a May Day event to go back to its Central Executive Committee (CEC) and say what is wrong? What has happened? What is it that we've done wrong? How are we going to change that?" 8. Various of Ramaphosa being escorted out of the stadium STORYLINE: South African President Cyril Ramaphosa abandoned his Workers' Day speech in the northwestern city of Rustenburg on Sunday when striking mineworkers stormed the stage. The workers employed by Sibanye-Stillwater mine are demanding a wage increase of 1,000 rand (63 US dollars) per month instead of the 850 rand (54 US dollars) being offered by the mine. Ramaphosa was booed as he started his address with a call for the striking workers and other members of the Congress of South African Trade Unions to calm down and listen to what he had to say. "We have heard that you want your 1,000 rand. We will deal with that matter," Ramaphosa told the protesting workers. Tshiamo Diole, South African Democratic Teacher's Union (SADTU) member said workers were fed up of empty promises and vowed that workers would take to the street should their demands not be met. Shortly after that, Ramaphosa was forced to give up his speech altogether when angry miners stormed the stage at the Royal Bafokeng Stadium. Ramaphosa's security guards whisked him away from the venue. Zingiswa Losi, President of Congress of South African Trade Unions (COSATU), said the chaos that unfolded was an indication of how workers really felt about their leaders. The striking workers have become even angrier in recent days over reports that Sibanye-Stillwater's CEO, Neal Froneman, earned more than 300 million rand (19 million US dollars) in 2021 in salary payments and company share schemes. Rustenburg in North West Province is a tumultuous area for Ramaphosa and South Africa's ruling African National Congress party. Many union members continue to blame them for the Marikana massacre, where 34 miners were shot dead by police during a strike at the Lonmin mine in 2012, when Ramaphosa was a non-executive director of Lonmin. =========================================================== Find out more about AP Archive: aparchive.com/HowWeWork Twitter: twitter.com/AP_Archive Facebook: facebook.com/APArchives ​​ Instagram: instagram.com/APNews You can license this story through AP Archive: aparchive.com/metadata/youtube/bb206af27ffb43cbb0ae983f8ab0e5bd