Govt begs volunteers to help amid ongoing strike

Government has again called for volunteers to assist at public hospitals affected by the public service strike. Geraldine Fraser-Moleketi, the public service and administration minister, says people who want to assist will be placed on a volunteer list.

She was speaking during a visit with Mosiuoa Lekota, the defence minister, Charles Nqakula, the safety and security minister at Kalafong Hospital near Pretoria. Lekota says the country cannot grind to a halt because of the strike. Jackie Selebi, the national police commissioner, says police will make sure they had enough man power to deal with situations that may arise.

Wage negotiations are schedule to resume in Centurion outside Pretoria.

Police fire rubber bullets
The situation at the Mpumalanga government complex in Nelspruit has calmed down after police this morning fired rubber bullets at a crowd of strikers. Nontobeko Lukhele, the events manager in the provincial department of health, was among those wounded.

Meanwhile Cosatu says it is shocked after police used rubber bullets to disperse striking workers. Patrick Craven, the Cosatu national spokesperson, says they are going to seek a meeting with the police. Three workers were injured and two arrested.

Pretoria strike
In Pretoria striking protesters are causing a major traffic disruption in the Pretoria CBD. Willy Baloyi, the Metro police spokesperson, says the police and traffic officials are monitoring three groups of protesters. He says they are trying to keep the people on the sidewalk to avoid damage to property.

No incidents of violence have been reported yet. The protesters are the employees of various National Government Departments based in Pretoria.