National shutdown: Gungubele receives unions' memoranda

However, after handing over their memoranda some disgruntled marchers disrupted Gungubele’s press briefing while accusing him of lying in their name and failing to fulfil the government’s commitment to workers. 

About 3 000 people took part in the Gauteng leg of the national shutdown in Tshwane, under the banner of Saftu, Cosatu, and several civic organisations, calling for the government to address the economic and energy crises plaguing South Africans.  

Gungubele commended workers for their generally peaceful conduct.  

“There’s nothing in this country that can be resolved through violence,”  he said.  

The minister said he acknowledges the concerns raised by the marchers adding that the government - under President Cyril Ramaphosa - has made key decisions toward economic recovery. 

“Just this year alone, based on what the President started in 2018 because we took a decision that our economic recovery is going to be infrastructure-led. It is against that background that I was able to say R249 billion is at the disposal of that program, that demonstrates the prioritisation of that approach.”  

Among the demands listed by Saftu is the expansion of the public sector wage bill so that teachers, nurses, police, correctional officers, and social workers are hired and paid well.  

During his address, the federation’s leader, Zwelinzama Vavi said workers want an 8% increase from government as talks deadlocked.  

Gungubele said he would refrain commenting on the issue while talks were ongoing; however, he said there’s a commitment from all parties to come up with a “useful” result.  

The public sector wage bill currently stands at over R660 billion and is expected to rise to more the R700 billion in the 2024/2025 financial year.  

Finance Minister, Enoch Godongwana has warned government could not afford the rising wage bill.  

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