Fin24 reports that responding to a question at an impromptu media briefing at the World Economic Forum (WEF) on Africa in Durban on Wednesday, President Jacob Zuma said he didn’t feel rejected by the working class after he was jeered off the stage at a rally on Monday.  

The Workers' Day gathering in Bloemfontein, where Zuma was supposed to speak, was consequently cancelled.  A confident Zuma said people who’ve been commenting on the matter have no understanding of how democracy works.  “You’ll agree with me that in the countries of dictators there are no protests or booing – all these things are part of the culture of democracy.  Unfortunately people misread this.  In a political democracy people engage heads of state.  They criticise heads of state for (their) views because they are expressing themselves freely,” Zuma said.

• Read this report by Liesl Peyper in full at Fin24
• See too, Zuma encourages booing, saying it’s part of democracy, at BusinessLive
• And also, Booing of Zuma can't be regarded as 'normal' says Lindiwe Sisulu, at BusinessLive

Get other news reports at the SA Labour News home page