South African youths, angry at the dismissal of Deputy President Jacob Zuma, pelted the entourage of a provincial premier with bottles on Thursday in a show of defiance, the public broadcaster reported. The firing of the populist Zuma has angered leftist and union allies of the ruling African National Congress as well as the party's Youth League, according to Reuters. On Thursday - a local public holiday to mark Youth Day - the South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC) reported that S'bu Ndebele, the premier of KwaZulu-Natal province and members of his cabinet had to be escorted by police and armoured vehicles from a stadium after pro-Zuma youths hurled rocks and bottles at them. A brief clip on the SABC news showed police protecting what appeared to be dignitaries under a large shield from debris being thrown, though police spokesmen denied any major disturbance. Mbeki has been lauded by the local media and analysts for firing the scandal-tainted Zuma in a step seen as boosting Africa's declared drive against graft.
