As the national shutdown continues, Cosatu members are currently marching to the Western Cape Legislature office to hand over the first memorandum. They will then march to Parliament and hand over another memorandum.
While the public transport sector was expecting business as usual for Cape Town today, amid the planned protest, multiple fires were reported on the N2 between the R300 and Mew Way in both directions, resulting in road closures this morning.
The national road, inbound and outbound, has been reopened.
Also read: Nationwide Cosatu strike against poor governance planned for this week
This comes after the South African National Taxi Council (Santaco) said all its drivers had been notified that they would operate normally on Thursday.
‘We are on an economic recovery path and cannot afford to miss a day of operation,’ Santaco said in a statement.
According to News24, Golden Arrow Bus spokesperson Bronwen Dyke-Beyer said their operations would also run today.
Cosatu and its affiliates will go on strike in protest of the economy’s condition, loadshedding, bad governance and the low living standards of workers.
No work, no pay will be in effect during the strike, which will take place in accordance with Section 77 of the Labour Relations Act (LRA).
Need a reliable car, but tight on a budget? Have a look at these offers for under R100 000. View the deals here.
‘It is a demonstration by workers that government needs to do more to end the levels of loadshedding, cable theft, crime and corruption, wasteful expenditure, and austerity crippling the state, suffocating the economy, and further plunging workers into high levels of indebtedness and misery,’ Cosatu said in a statement.
‘This is also a signal to the government, the Reserve Bank, and the commercial banks that the working class can no longer afford to bear the burden of rising levels of inflation, electricity tariff hikes, and relentless and reckless increases in the repo rate.’
South African Federation of Trade Unions (Saftu) General Secretary Zwelinzima Vavi said that Cosatu had approached them to join the shutdown, but Saftu declined the invitation.
‘Saftu will not join the strike not only because of the short notice or because [we are] not combat ready, nor because we have no finances to support a strike, but because [we] believe that Cosatu is not genuine about unity,’ said Vavi.
Meanwhile, Cosatu in the Western Cape said they were expecting thousands of people to join in their protest.
According to Cosatu’s Western Cape secretary, Malvern de Bruyn, members will be taking to the streets as the government is not doing enough to fight crime in areas such as Khayelitsha, Manenberg, Gugulethu, Langa and Elsies River.
‘We will be handing over a memorandum outlining our disappointment in the high crime levels, corruption, job losses, unemployment, interest rates and tariffs.’
‘Workers must come out in their numbers so we can express our disappointment in this government,’ De Bruyn told News24.
‘We want the provincial and national governments to hear us loud and clear on these matters and regard this strike as just a first warning of more mass action to follow, should our demands not be heeded.’
Western Cape Police spokesperson Lieutenant Colonel Malcolm Pojie said police were aware of the planned march and had activated contingency plans to ensure ‘the safety of all’.
This is a developing story, with updates to follow.
Cape {town} Etc discount: Experience luxury along the Garden Route with this two-night Knysna getaway. Get it here.
Also read:
COSATU Strike commences: These are the roads that will be affected
Picture: @_cosatu / Twitter