A large crowd converged at Beyers Naude Square in Johannesburg on Monday to join the Congress of SA Trade Unions’ protest against unemployment and job losses.
Singing struggle songs, members of the red T-shirted crowd carried posters reading ”Yes to local procurement. No to Edcon group”, ”Stop casualisation and racism” and ”Cosatu at war against job losses”.
A Sapa reporter estimated the crowd was around two to three thousand strong.
”We are here to make Johannesburg ungovernable,” said one protester.
The group struck up a song called Sithwele Kanzima, which translated from Zulu means ”we work hard”.
The library and nearby streets — Sauer and Jeppe — were closed ahead of a planned march to various locations in the city to hand over memoranda stating workers’ concerns.
Metrorail said that train services were running close to normal on Monday.
However, only half the normal services were running on Soweto’s Naledi line.
No alternative transport arrangements had been made in all the Metrorail regions.
Protest marches will be held in all the major cities on Monday as part of the protected rolling mass action, including pickets, demonstrations and protest strikes.
”By far the biggest issue confronting workers today is the catastrophic loss of jobs and intolerably high levels of unemployment. South Africa is losing jobs from the productive heart of the economy. Sections of mining and manufacturing have destroyed tens of thousands of jobs and we face the prospect of losing thousands more in the near future,” said Cosatu in a statement.
Among the interventions proposed by Cosatu are that retailers must stock at least 75% of local goods and cut back on imports and that the government should strongly pursue local procurement policies. Cosatu also proposes that the government review its trade strategy to ensure that it stops ”destroying” jobs.
It also calls for an end to the privitisation of basic services and amendments to the Labour Relations Act to compel employers to negotiate with subcontracted workers on any measures that could cause them to lose their jobs.
Cosatu predicted that thousands of workers would heed their call to strike, with protesters expected to march to Parliament as part of the Cape Town campaign.
No major disruptions in Durban
Meanwhile, Durban police said they did not expect any major disruptions.
Captain Vincent Ndunge said police have been monitoring all areas in the city since 3am.
”Everything is quiet so far and we don’t expect any major disruptions today [Monday],” said Ndunge.
”Police are out in full force to ensure that the strike is peaceful. We don’t expect major problems even though there will be rallies and roads will be closed,” said Ndunge.
”We are hoping to maintain a peaceful atmosphere throughout the day.”
Joburg braces for strike
Some roads in central Johannesburg will be closed between 11am and 4pm on Monday as 60 000 people are expected to march in the strike, metro police said.
Johannesburg metro police spokesperson Chief Superintendent Wayne Minnaar said the crowd will gather at Beyers Naude square. Three memoranda are to be handed over at different points on the march.
”The crowd will leave Beyers Naude Square and walk down Market street, left into Rissik street, turning right into Wolmarans street and walk right into King George street where they will hand over a memorandum at the old railway building.”
Minnaar said the crowd is then expected to march down Wolmarans Street to Biccard Street.
They will turn left, cross the Queen Elizabeth Bridge and march down Simmonds Street and turn right into Pritchard Street and walk on to Diagonal Street, handing over a second memorandum at the old Johannesburg Stock Exchange building.
”From there the crowd will march down Diagonal Street, walking left into Marshall Street and walk up to the Chamber of Mines where they will hand over a third memorandum.”
They will then march up Sauer Street, turning right into Market Street and end the march at Beyers Naude Square.
Minnaar said there would be a strong police presence at the march. – Sapa