President Jacob Zuma had to stop mid-speech and run for cover when the tent he was in collapsed at a Day of Reconciliation event in Gopane, North West, on Friday.
South African President, Jacob Zuma was forced to run for cover when the tent in which he was delivering a Day of Reconciliation speech at Gopane near Zeerust in North West province collapsed during a storm‚ a video on the SABC’s YouTube Channel showed.
The public broadcaster reported that the celebrations had been disrupted by strong winds as Zuma was giving his keynote address. The president was rushed off the stage as the tent collapsed.
It said that banners at the podium could be seen blown away by wind as the President was giving his speech. In the video footage‚ the crowd is seen screaming as the tent is blown away. People had to run for cover.
It was unclear if anyone has been injured‚ the SABC reported.
Watch as Pres. Zuma is evacuated when wind blows away tent at #ReconciliationDay celebrations
Before the tent’s collapse, President Zuma was enjoying a warm reception from the crowd as he conducted a lengthy history lesson on various aspects of the holiday.
As he turned to the topic of Marikana, declaring, “The incident was painful and traumatic not only for the families but all South Africans”, the tent collapsed.
Zuma was subsequently removed from the venue by his bodyguards.
Watch the video report below;