PRETORIA - Hundreds of South Africans protested in the executive and legislative capitals of Pretoria and Cape Town on Wednesday, against inflation that has soared to a 13-year high.
The protests were led by the trade union group Congress of South African Trade Unions (COSATU), a longtime ally of the governing African National Congress. Labour unrest often affects sectors such as mining during wage negotiations, but it is rare for COSATU, South Africa’s biggest union, to lead a national protest.
Union officials said more protesters were expected to join the marches as the day progressed, though it was not immediately clear if a call for a national shutdown to take place in more than 10 major cities would be successful.
The Department of Public Service and Administration said in a circular to government departments that state employees participating in the COSATU-led protests, which were supported by unions from other federations, would not be paid. Protesters holding placards saying “Stop Taxing Basic Food Items” sang as they marched through central Pretoria towards Union Buildings, which houses the office of President Cyril Ramaphosa, a founding COSATU member.
