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By Baldwin Ndaba 
3h ago
Johannesburg – Cosatu and the South African Federation of Trade Unions (Saftu) pledged to paralyze the country through several protest marches and pickets against state capture, corruption and gender-based violence (GBV) on Wednesday.
The federations were to embark on joint protests in various towns large and small in the country to also express their displeasure at the government for not implementing the long-awaited salary increases for public servants.
On Tuesday, Cosatu spokesman Sizwe Pamla said his federation would carry out different types of protests ranging from marches to government buildings, prime ministers’ offices and others that would march to different police stations in the country to protest against gender-based violence and the need for law enforcement agencies to act. quickly against the perpetrators.
Earlier, Cosatu General Secretary Bheki Ntshalintshali encouraged the public and private sector workforce to join the strike.
“We need to take a stand and reject this blatant theft of taxpayer money and the shameful neglect of the working class by policy makers and decision makers,” said Ntshalintshali.
Saftu Secretary General Zwelinzima Vavi expressed similar sentiments on Tuesday.
On Tuesday, Cosatu, describing his national strike activities, revealed that his main protest action will be in Pretoria. The meeting will take place in Burgers Park and a caravan will drive to the National Treasury office on Church Street to deliver a memorandum. The protesters will then move to Francis Baard Street to deliver a memorandum to the Department of Employment and Labor.
In Johannesburg, the meeting was expected to start at Cosatu House in Braamfontein and move to the Chamber of Commerce. Later, to the office of Gauteng Prime Minister David Makhura and the Minerals Council office in Joburg CBD.
According to the agreed activities, only 60 cars are allowed and each car can carry three passengers.
“All cars must have a sign that indicates that it is from Cosatu and according to current directives, a car that carries five people only allows three passengers,” the program indicates.
In other regions of Gauteng, protesters had to picket different shopping centers, while others marched to their respective city halls to demand jobs and an end to corruption.
Saftu has almost planned similar marches too, one at Mjantshi House, Transnet’s headquarters in Joburg CBD. Saftu would also join the march to Makhura’s office.
In KwaZulu-Natal, the main picket would take place at the provincial police headquarters. The protesters were expected to gather at Curries Fountain Stadium. Other regions were to march towards their respective municipal and district offices. In Cape Town, the caravan would start at the Langa Multi-Purpose Sport Center.
The caravan was to leave Langa on the N2 towards the city on Hertzog Boulevard, where a memorandum will be delivered to the city of Cape Town. Later, the caravan was expected to move to the Western Cape provincial legislature, where another memorandum will be delivered to Prime Minister Alan Winde. The caravan would then go to Parliament to deliver another memorandum.
Similar protests would take place at prime ministers’ offices in other provinces. One of the objectives in Mpumalanga was to march to the office of Prime Minister Refilwe Mtshweni-Tsipane. In the North Cape, protesters were supposed to visit Prime Minister Zamani Saul’s office and then the Department of Mineral Resources.
Political Bureau
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