A protest action dubbed the “Cry of the Excluded”, meant to coincide with the budget speech by Finance Minister Tito Mboweni saw both employed and unemployed people send a message to government calling for swift action with regards to unemployment in the country.
Hundreds of people affiliated to trade unions, including the South African Federation of Trade Unions (SAFTU) and civil and political movements marched through the Cape Town CBD ahead of the budget speech.
The Secretary General of the trade union federation SAFTU – Zwelinzima Vavi called for collective efforts against the high rate of unemployment and job losses in the country.
Vavi handed over a memorandum of demands to an official from the Treasury Faith Leeuw, saying reducing government investment in the economy is not going to work.
He says, “You are going to move from the economy that is stagnated to the economy that is declining. Please listen to the voices of the unemployed and the workers, can you stop listening only to the rating agencies, the big banks and the white monopoly capital, listen to the people who put you in power.”
The are a lot of jobs that the president promised us says an unemployed youth in video below:
The leader of the Unemployed Graduates Movement, Nkululeko Ndlovu says, “The government should invest in research opportunities as another way of creating jobs for the many unemployed graduates in the country.”
Ndlovu and other unemployed graduates joined a march to parliament to highlight the crisis of unemployment and retrenchments. He says government should open space for them in order to take part in the economy of the country.”
The protest outside parliament ended peacefully with organisations saying they will continue to embark in protest action until their demands are met.
Unemployment Rate in South Africa by SABC Digital News
More from outside the Civic Centre pic.twitter.com/gISAcH2bye
— Cry of the Xcluded (@CryofXcluded) February 26, 2020
Siziphiwe Dunjona interviewed at the Real jobs summits in Cape Town. She speaks about how unemployment affect communities, and what to expect from the @CryofXcluded.#CryOfXcludes#WorkForUs pic.twitter.com/VGN2U4hnVz
— Cry of the Xcluded (@CryofXcluded) February 25, 2020
#workforus March about to start Cry of Xcluded, SAMWU and a host of social forces at todays march.
Jobs Dignity and Services pic.twitter.com/mpO3hLtXGJ— Cry of the Xcluded (@CryofXcluded) February 26, 2020
