South African police expected tens of thousands of people to join nationwide demonstrations
organized by the Congress of South African Trade Unions, known as COSATU. The strikers
want the African National Congress-led government to scrap planned tolls to pay for
road upgrades in the Johannesburg area, also to ban the labour-broker firms which
supply temporary workers.
“It is about the labour brokers and it is about the
toll roads, but I think there is another issue at hand as well,” said. Günther Simmermacher,
the editor of the Catholic weekly The Southern Cross.
He told Vatican Radio
it is also a show of political strength ahead of this year’s leadership contest in
the African National Congress.
“Five years ago the trade union movement was
part of a broader coalition that helped to unseat Thabo Mbeki in favour of the current
president, Jacob Zuma,” Simmermacher said. “At the moment, it is unclear which side
COSATU is going to take in the leadership contest that is going to take place this
year, but today’s strike certainly is intended to put Mr. Zuma on notice.”
Listen
to full interview with Günther Simmermacher: