SA Prez Ramaphosa cuts short CWG Summit in London to deal with protests at home

NewsBharati    20-Apr-2018
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Pretoria, April 20: Rigorous protest impeding to unemployment and better housing created an outburst in South Africa. Sighting this issue, the President Cyril Ramaphosa had to cut short his meeting in Commonwealth Games summit held in London.

 

Clashes have been seen in the North West Province where the protestors have hampered on demanding jobs, housing and an end to corruption. Shops have been looted, roads barricaded and vehicles set alight.

President Ramaphosa, who commenced office in February, has sought to encourage investment in South Africa during his visit to the UK.

The unrest, dubbed "service delivery protests", has mounted over the years.

The latest protests erupted on Wednesday with residents demanding that the province's Premier Supra Mahumapelo, a member of Ramaphosa's ruling African National Congress party, step down.

Ramaphosa called for calm, ordered police to exercise maximum restraint and urged the aggrieved parties to express their grievances without resorting to violence. Neighbouring Botswana said it had closed exit points along its shared border with North West province.

South Africa's faltering economy has been a priority for Mr Ramaphosa since he took over from former President Jacob Zuma. Growth had been weak and unemployment painfully high as Mr Zuma's leadership was dogged by years of corruption allegations.