WATCH: Delays, disruptions, loud cheers for Zuma mark start of ANC conference

Ramaphosa, who opened the national conference with a political report, had to contend with the noise of delegates who banged on tables chanting “step aside” and “load shedding”. 

Ramaphosa pleaded for discipline: “Comrades, I am going to appeal to all of us to all of us to respect this meeting that has taken place 55 times in the history of our organisation. I want to appeal to anyone who wants to raise their dissatisfaction to do so in an orderly manner. In a way that we do things here in the ANC. We’ve been in existence for 110 years and this is not the time to display this kind of disorderly behaviour.” 

Former ANC president Jacob Zuma then also arrived to loud cheers, with his supporters singing “Ramaphosa tell us what Zuma has done” in isiZulu. 

On Thursday, the Jacob Zuma Foundation announced that the former president had instituted a private prosecution against Ramaphosa, accusing him of being accessory after the fact in the (alleged) crimes committed by state prosecutor Billy Downer.

Earlier party spokesperson Pule Mabe dismissed any notion that these developments would affect Ramaphosa’s participation in the conference. 

“The president remains in his position and will deliver the political report,” Mabe said.