This archive report was first published on 14 September 2019.
On September 14, 2019, South Africa's President Cyril Ramaphosa faced a hostile crowd during his address at Zimbabwe ex-leader Robert Mugabe's funeral, which was taking place at the National Sports Stadium in Harare, Zimbabwe.
The funeral was attended by several heads of state, including President Uhuru Kenyatta and other former presidents. However, Ramaphosa's speech was interrupted by a wave of jeers, boos, and whistles as he started his eulogy at the state funeral for Mugabe, who died at the age of 95 the previous week.
Despite the hostile reception, Ramaphosa apologized for recent xenophobic attacks in South Africa, which had left at least 12 people dead and many others injured. He also expressed his commitment to the spirit of Mugabe, which was a spirit of uniting Africa.
"In the past two weeks we have had challenges, some of which was directed at nationals from other countries. This has led to the deaths and injuries of other people – some of which were nationals of other countries, but the majority of which were South Africans. I stand before you to apologise for what has happened in our country," said Ramaphosa.
