Monday’s shutdown will be first of many shots, warns Vavi
The South African Federation of Trade Unions (Saftu) has vowed to intensify the protests against load shedding and youth unemployment beyond Monday’s national shutdown.
The trade union federation will be part of the EFF-led shutdown on 20 March.
The EFF has vowed to bring the country to a standstill when it takes to the streets to demand an end to the electricity crisis and the resignation of President Cyril Ramaphosa.
The federation's general-secretary Zwelinzima Vavi, who briefed the media on their plans on Friday, said the federation want an end to load shedding, a just transition to renewable energy while saving all jobs, an end to crime and corruption and intervention in the high cost of living.
"Our protest action is going to be peaceful, we want to emphasise this. We are not the products of violence, we do not advance violent agendas against society. We are not products of any kind of intimidation or robbing other people of their right to exercise the constitution of South Africa, it is going to be a peaceful demonstration.”
Vavi slammed the briefing by ministers from the Justice, Crime Prevention and Security cluster on Thursday, saying it only served to create panic.
"This whole press conference yesterday by ministers and a statement by the president, it is a panic on their side and they have a reason to panic perhaps because the lid is going to be taken off from the pot, from Monday going forward.
“We are not going to do a once-off demonstration and go back to peace and business is normal. This is one of many shots we have been firing and we are going to be firing endless shots until load shedding is addressed, until the crisis of youth unemployment, women unemployment is addressed," vowed Vavi.
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