President Cyril Ramaphosa faced a difficult crowd in Harare, Zimbabwe, during the funeral service of the late Robert Mugabe.
The crowd booed him soon after he was introduced, forcing the programme director to intervene.
Ramaphosa resumed his address after the crowd quietened. He apologised for the recent xenophobic unrest in part of Gauteng.
I stand before you as a fellow African to express my regret and to apologise for what has happened in our country.
What has happened in South Africa goes against the principles of the unity of African people that President Mugabe and President Nelson Mandela, Oliver Tambo and the great leaders of our African continent stood for.
President Cyril Ramaphosa
The president said the government is working hard to strengthen social cohesion.
He emphasised that South Africans are not xenophobic and are not against people from other countries.
The crowd was appeased by Ramaphosa’s apology and in fact cheered him for it.
Ramaphosa expressed his condolences to the people of Zimbabwe on behalf of the South African government.