Sacked South African deputy president Jacob Zuma was cheered by hundreds of supporters as he appeared in court on charges of corruption. The popular politician has strong labor ties, and powerful union COSATU sees his firing as a government plot to block his efforts to replace the current South African president in 2009. His sacking was hailed by some as proof of the current president's determination to set an example for the rest of Africa by fighting official corruption.
See "South Africans Cheer Sacked VP Zuma at Graft Hearing", Reuters, The New York Times, October 10, 2005