Thousands of striking security guards smashed car and shop windows in central Cape Town on Tuesday morning while marching along Plein Street to present a memorandum to Parliament.
Protesters were seen smashing shop windows and looting, as others kicked parked cars and used road signs to shatter car windows.
About 5 000 protesters marched along Plein Street just before, many of them armed with steel pipes and wooden sticks.
Some were seen making threatening gestures at bystanders. One was seen dragging his finger across his throat, pointing at security staff on duty at one of the entrances to Parliament.
Glass and rubbish lay shattered along Plein Street after the protesters had passed through. Police were keeping a close eye on the procession, which was amassing outside the main gate to Parliament by midday.
The marchers were members of Satawu.
A helicopter was hovering above the scene shortly after noon as police started arriving at the looted shops to inspect damage.
A South African Press Association journalist was attacked by striking security guards as he covered their march through the Cape Town city centre.
Phoning from the scene as he waited to be taken to hospital, reporter Wendell Roelf said he had been hit on the head with a sjambok, suffered a deep gash to one leg and had a rock thrown at his head.
Meanwhile, the Commission for Conciliation, Mediation and Arbitration (CCMA) has called on striking guards to halt their month-long protest, the South African Transport and Allied Workers’ Union (Satawu) said.
The CCMA made the proposal at Monday night’s talks, which are aimed at solving the matter, Satawu spokesperson Ronnie Mamba said in a statement.
He said the CCMA further proposed that ”the parties” monitor the return to work of all workers and confirm normality by close of business on Thursday.
Employers should restrict any disciplinary process to alleged acts of serious misconduct during the strike, Mamba said. ”The unions agree that no strike shall be embarked upon during the suspension period and the employer agreed not to institute any lockout during the suspension period.”
Satawu went on strike last month demanding an 11% pay hike while employers offered 8%. Talks to resolve the wage dispute would carry on Tuesday, Satawu’s Mamba said. — Sapa