Motorists were asked to avoid the Johannesburg inner city on Friday, as a protest march by striking public servants was expected to block the streets.
Metro police spokesperson Superintendent Wayne Minnaar said the streets to avoid were: Smith Street, Wolmarans Street, De Villiers Street, Plein Street, Bree Street, Jeppe Street, Market Street, and Commissioner Street.
The march was expected to start at about 11am from the Educon building in De Korte Street, and proceed to the premier’s office at the corner of Simmonds and Fox Streets.
”Johannesburg metro will closely monitor the march, and we expect things to return to normal by 4pm,” said Minnaar.
It is expected that a memorandum would be handed in later on Friday.
No traffic disruptions were expected in Pretoria, said Tshwane metro spokesperson William Baloyi.
”We haven’t had requests for marching permits, so the public should not worry about traffic changes,” he said.
Doctors refused entry to hospital
Doctors were on Friday morning being refused entry to Cape Town’s Groote Schuur Hospital by strikers who were picketing all entrances to the complex.
Dozens of nurses seeking to report for duty, specialised personnel such as radio therapists, and medical students have also been turned away by the strikers.
Consultant paediatrician Dr Chris Rainier-Pope was unable to gain entry when he arrived shortly after 8am for his regular outpatients clinic.
”There’s supposed to be sick kids coming to see me today,” he said.
”I can’t get in, and presumably the patients won’t get in either.”
He said some patients travelled long distances to see him for his speciality, paediatric rheumatology.
Earlier this week one child had come all the way from Oudtshoorn by ambulance.
Outside the maternity wing a group of strikers were singing and dancing and refusing entry to all except what one said were ”emergencies”.
The strike was evident at several Johannesburg schools, as pupils were seen walking the streets out of uniform on Friday morning.
A 17-year-old Grade 12 pupil at Coronationville Secondary School told the South African Press Association she was not happy about the teachers’ strike because it would affect pupils’ studies. Cestodia Hollander said they were expected to be writing mid-year exams next week.
”This is really terrible because we are supposed to be in class and learning.”
Shortly before 8am pupils started going home. The three teachers who were at the school also left.
At the nearby Bernard Isaacs Primary School there was none of the usual weekday morning noise and bustle. A teacher, who wished to remain anonymous, said they had expected some of the pupils to arrive.
”We told parents that some of the teachers would be available today [Friday] and no-one has arrived yet,” he said, before leaving to join the protest action.
”This is a legitimate demand on the government and we totally reject what they are offering us.”
About 10 pupils arrived at Observatory East Primary School, but were seen hanging around outside. The adjoining pre-school, despite being private, had only six pupils.
In the Kensington area very few pupils were seen on route to the many schools in the area.
At the HA Jack Primary School in Highlands North eight children arrived for school and almost half the teachers were absent.
Telephone calls to numerous schools in Gauteng went unanswered.
Shireen Pardesi, vice-chairperson of labour on the Public Sector Coordinating Bargaining Council, said the education sector was being dealt with ”along delicate lines”.
”We are dealing with the sector along delicate lines and being very careful, parents have been informed accordingly,” she said.
Meanwhile, the strike seemed to have little effect at schools in the Table View area of Cape Town.
Pupils and teachers were arriving as normal at both the primary and high schools in Flamingo Vlei where many pupils had already arrived at school shortly after 7am.
However, teachers were reluctant to speak to the media.
At the two nearby private schools a normal Friday at school also seemed to be on the cards.
A teacher at Table View High School said they did expect some teachers to participate in the strike, but this would not effect the schools exams which were currently under way.
The teacher, who did not want to be named, said the school expected about 50% of its teaching staff to be on strike, with the remainder reporting for duty.
A special roster had also been worked out to ensure things proceeded as usual. – Sapa