An estimated 800 000 public servants are expected to take to the country’s streets on Thursday in protest against a government wage offer, unions said on Wednesday.
“In the 1999 protest action we had 400 000 people who joined in the marches and we believe we will pass that figure on Thursday,” said Anton Louwrens, general manager of the Public Servant’s Association (PSA), in Pretoria.
The unions have released the details of marches around the country.
In the Western Cape the march will start at Cape Technikon at 10am and proceed to Parliament. Protest action will also be held in Oudtshoorn, Vredendal and Vredenberg.
The main march in the Northern Cape will be in Kimberley. Demonstrators will gather at the Chemo hotel at 8am and march to the Old Legislature. A march is also expected to be held in Colesberg.
Protest action in the Eastern Cape will be in Bisho, but details have not yet been finalised.
KwaZulu-Natal will see protesters take to the streets at 9am. In Durban they will march from Curries Fountain to City Hall. Protest action is also expected in Port Shepstone, Ladysmith, Vryheid and Empangeni.
In Mpumalanga, marchers will walk from the Lowveld Show Grounds in Nelspruit to the premier’s office at 11am. In the North West, protesters will walk from the Montshiwa Stadium in Mafikeng to the legislature at 10am.
In Limpopo, protest action is expected to start at 10am with public servants walking from the Mimosa hotel in Polokwane to the premier’s office. Other venues are likely to be added, the unions said.
Action in the Free State is expected to kick off at 10.30am with protesters meeting at Paxnova in Bloemfontein and marching to the premier’s office.
In Gauteng, the march will start at 10am in Pretoria with protesters gathering in Church Square and walking to the National Treasury and the Union Buildings.
Congress of South African Trade Unions spokesperson Patrick Craven said the Pretoria protest is expected to be the biggest one.
Tshwane Metro Police spokesperson Luné van Heerden said no metro police officers will be on strike on Thursday and all will be deployed to monitor proceedings.
“Unions will start gathering from 9.30am at Church Square. Marching will commence at 10am, via Paul Kruger and then into Vermeulen Street,” she said.
She said marchers are expected to hand over a memorandum to Finance Minister Trevor Manuel, before moving to the Union Buildings at 11am.
“All activities should be concluded by 2.30pm,” she said.
Van Heerden said 50 000 people are expected.
She said two lanes will be closed in Hamilton Street to provide parking for the 80 buses being used to transport the protesters.
“Vermeulen Street and applicable intersections will be partially closed during the march as it progresses,” she said. — Sapa
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