Hecklers won't deter Phumzile

2005-08-10 22:41

Mandy Rossouw

Cape Town - Protests in support of former deputy president Jacob Zuma will not stop the present incumbent, Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka, from doing her job, says presidency spokesperson Murphy Morobe.

Women's Day celebrations in Utrecht, in northern KwaZulu-Natal, were disrupted on Tuesday when Mlambo-Ngcuka was interrupted by a group while delivering a speech.

The group shouted slogans and sang songs in support of Zuma and Mlambo-Ngcuka had to deviate from her prepared speech to calm them down.

She then talked about how close to her heart KwaZulu-Natal was because she grew up there, and said the problems of the province's people were also her problems.

However, the group didn't pay any heed to Mlambo-Ngcuka and she eventually had to leave the podium.

Morobe said the group "clearly had a point to make" and it turned into a riot, but that the government was not concerned about it.

'She was never in any danger'

He said: "In a meeting of 1 000 people, the noise that a few people make is not really regarded as a threat."

Mlambo-Ngcuka's security arrangements would remain unaltered, he said, since the deputy president was "at no stage in any danger".

"The incident was typical of a democracy. Some people feel it is necessary to make their voices heard in such a way."

He said the government was not concerned that this protest action was a sign of ongoing unhappiness about the manner in which Zuma was dealt with.

"There are people everywhere who are unhappy about many things, but that does not mean that most people do not support the government's decisions about Jacob Zuma's future."

Morobe did not want to speculate about a recurrence of such an incident.

"The government will continue to protect the power of the people, but they must realise that there are proper ways in which to express themselves."

- Beeld