About 20 000 protesters in Pretoria have started marching towards the Union Buildings after a delay outside the Treasury building when they were told Finance Minister Trevor Manuel was not available to receive their memorandum.
Congress of SA Trade Unions (Cosatu) president Willie Madisha told the crowd that Manuel had known they were coming seven days ago but still insisted on flying to Cape Town.
“We were told that the deputy finance minister, Jabu Moleketi, was also not available because he had just returned from a flight to Gemany,” Madisha told the crowd.
He then said the protest — which takes up five blocks in Vermeulen Street in central Pretoria — would proceed towards the Union Buildings where they would hand the memorandum over to Public Service and Administration Minister Geraldine Fraser-Moleketi.
Madisha, accompanied by Cosatu Secretary General Zwelinzima Vavi, told the gathering to proceed in an orderly fashion and thanked them for their good behaviour.
“You guys get ten out of ten for behaviour, while Manuel gets nought out of ten,” he told them.
‘Gatvol’
Thousands of striking public servants in Cape Town have set off on a march to deliver a memorandum to Parliament.
The strikers, who gathered in the city’s District Six and moved off shortly before 11am, were in high spirits as they sang and toyi-toyied their way at a brisk pace through the central business district.
The ear-splitting bray of vuvuzelas added to the noise, as marshals battled to keep the marchers in line.
Among the multitude of banners were some calling on the government to make up backlogs in pay and to “take us seriously”.
Another, more directly worded, said simply: “Ons is gatvol” (we are fed up).
The strikers enthusiastically echoed calls of “phantsi ngo Geraldine phantsi”, meaning “Down with Public Service Minister Geraldine Fraser-Moloketi.”
Police were keeping a close eye on the march.
Disruptions in Nelspruit
Strikers turned up in much greater numbers than expected for a march through Nelspruit in Mpumalanga, causing havoc with the traffic.
Although strike organisers only expected 22 000 people, the traffic department estimated that around 35 000 people had convened on the Nelspruit show grounds.
Half an hour after the strike was due to commence cars were still streaming towards the show grounds, blocking the roads.
A task team consisting of members of the defence force and the police were present and were containing the situation.
The march, which had not yet started by 11.30pm, would proceed along the R40 between White River and Nelspruit.
The protest is being organised by eight public service unions.
They are demanding a seven percent pay rise, and have rejected the government’s highest offer of six percent. Public servants also want medical aid, housing allowance and long-term salary increase issues addressed.
Crowds in Durban
Strikers in Durban have started to march to the city centre where a memorandum will be handed to a representative of the provincial Parliament.
Although thousands of union members were bussed in from all over the province, police said only 2 000 had made it to the gathering point at Curries Fountain.
However, police spokesperson Superintendent Vishnu Naidoo said police expected the numbers to swell as large groups had gathered along the march route and would join the protesters as they passed.
Rhoda Joseph, a teacher of 30 years, said that if she had taught in the private sector her take-home pay would have been much more then the R3 500 she was currently earning.
A teacher couple from Greytown said their combined income of R10 000 was not enough to support their four children adequately.
The protest forms part of a countrywide strike by eight public service unions. It has been billed as the largest to date in the country, with about 800 000 public servants expected to take part. – Sapa
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