S. Africa's ANC lambasts "factional interests" after disrupted May Day rally

South Africa's ruling African National Congress (ANC) on Tuesday lambasted "factional interests" within the ANC-led coalition, blaming its partners for the disruption of a May Day rally.

Such "factional interests" overshadowed the important issues of workers' rights, the advancement of the living wage and decent work, the party said in a statement emailed to Xinhua.

On Monday, the May Day rally in Bloemfontein, Free State Province, was disrupted as anti-Zuma groups clashed with Zuma supporters, prompting President Jacob Zuma to cancel his speech.

At other rallies in KwaZulu-Natal and Limpopo Provinces, senior ANC officials were also booed and heckled.

Some unions affiliated to the Congress of South African Trade Unions (COSATU) objected to plans for the president to address the federation's main May Day rally.

At least three COSATU-affiliated unions have warned that allowing Zuma to address COSATU members at the May Day rally would send "a confusing message" as the federation has taken a resolution that Zuma should step down as president.

The South African Communist Party (SACP) has also added its voice to the chorus for Zuma to resign.

The COSATU, SACP and ANC are partners in a tripartite alliance, which has lately been experiencing ructions over Zuma's continued leadership.

There have been growing calls for Zuma to resign after he reshuffled the cabinet on March 31, sacking much-respected Finance Minister Pravin Gordhan. This led to the downgrading of South Africa's sovereign credit rating to junk status by international rating agencies Standard & Poor's and Fitch in April.

In South Africa, workers organized under the banner of the COSATU come out in numbers to mark the International Workers' Day, or May Day, every year, calling for the creation of decent work, the defense of existing jobs and the expansion of the comprehensive social security net to the working class.

Throughout the country, the May Day celebrations had been observed in a generally peaceful manner, heeding the call for unity and to desist from factional and divisive practices and tendencies, the ANC said in its Tuesday statement.

The disruption of this year's May Day rally was "concerning", the ANC said.

"Regrettably the significance of May Day was thus reduced by the unacceptable conduct of those who chose disorder and intolerance," the party noted.

Despite ructions with its partners, the ANC will redouble its effort to foster unity within the movement and the alliance, ANC national spokesperson Zizi Kodwa said.

"Public displays of disunity broker no victors and only serve to weaken the Alliance as a whole," Kodwa warned. Enditem