Political parties have shown mixed reactions to the nationwide shutdown led by the Congress of South African Trade Unions (Cosatu) and the South African Federation of Trade Unions (Saftu). The unions took to the streets over load-shedding and the high cost of living, earlier on Wednesday.
The demonstrations in Gauteng saw protestors delivering a memorandum of demands to the Union Buildings where it was received by Minister in the Presidency, Mondli Gungubele.
While thousands took to the streets in some parts of the country over the high cost of living, the demonstrations were largely lambasted.
The Democratic Alliance (DA) lamented the national shutdown by Cosatu and Saftu as an action that could affect the unemployed. In light of this, the party’s Spokesperson on Labour, Dr Michael Cardo has emphasised the need to keep the country’s economy open.
Cardo says the demonstrations are counterproductive. “We regard it as a massive kick in the teeth for unemployed South Africans who now number over 11 and a half million as the quarterly labour force survey revealed yesterday. Today’s national shutdown is a complete counterproductive act. Cosatu and Saftu are trying to bring the economy to a standstill in order to highlight the country’s socio-economic crisis but this is like cutting off one’s nose to spite one’s face except that the unions are hellbent on gauging everyone else’s eyes out at the same time and disabling them. You don’t alleviate an economic crisis by aggravating it. We need to keep the economy open not shut it down.”
Cardo has also lambasted Cosatu for remaining in the tripartite alliance and accused it of being disingenuous in organising the shutdown. The party says the union would remove itself from the alliance with the African National Congress (ANC) if it was serious in its condemnation of the party.
“The strike, which is going to culminate in the handover of a memorandum to President Cyril Ramaphosa calling on him to address load-shedding and rising food and fuel prices, is being driven and organised by one of the ANC’s own tripartite alliance partners. Cosatu doesn’t seem to grasp the futility of its actions. If the trade union was really serious about addressing the cost of living crisis, which is being fuelled by the ruling party’s corruption and incompetence, it would ditch the ANC, it would ditch its own alliance partner not plead with its abuser to change their ways.”
SABC’s Canny Maphanga reports:
The Freedom Front Plus has echoed the DA’s sentiments and warned of the possible consequences to the economy in the midst of the nationwide shutdown.
Party MP, Woutter Wessels says, “All South Africans have a valid reason to be frustrated and angry at the current state of the South African economy and load-shedding that’s detrimental to livelihoods, at the poor service delivery facing South Africans daily. but a national shutdown and these protests organised by trade unions will not serve the purpose of addressing these problems and crises but will rather lead to the further decline of the economy. it is irresponsible and does not serve of getting South Africa back on track.
Meanwhile, the unions received the backing of the National Freedom Party. Its Secretary-General Canaan Mdletshe has called for engagements between stakeholders to tackle the woes facing the country.
“As the National Freedom Party, we stand in solidarity with the workers and the working class in South Africa. The sad reality is that the living conditions have reached levels that are unacceptable and unaffordable to ordinary workers in this country. The time has come for various labour unions, and different political parties to work together and speak in one voice for the sake of the working class in South Africa. The poorest of the poor are largely affected by these increases. It is therefore important that all the stakeholders in South Africa unite and work together.”
The Congress of the People (COPE) has also thrown its weight behind the nationwide shutdown organised by the unions. COPE Spokesperson, Dennis Bloem has warned that there may be more demonstrations as living conditions worsen. He says at the root of the crisis is state capture.
“State Capture and corruption have collapsed the economy of this country. we will see more and more people going into the streets, marching because life has become very tough. the cost of living is rising by the day. we are in solidarity with the workers, the ANC government has failed the people of this country and the workers.”
Whilst the unions threatened to bring the nation to a halt, minimal disruptions were reported.
