Four Seasons Before Lunch Gauteng (Pretoria)

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 I have lived in Pretoria for half my life, but even at almost 50, l still am not ready for mornings like this . I step out of  home in the morning at 7 a.m., greeted by a warm, gentle breeze and sunshine so golden it felt like summer had arrived overnight. The sky was clear; the jacaranda trees glowed purple; the air smelled of warmth and possibility. “Perfect day,” l muttered, locking his door. By the time l drive out—five minutes later—the sky starts to be darkened. A cold wind came crawling in from nowhere, sweeping dust across the pavement. The temperature dropped so suddenly that  l have  to switch the heater for warmth. Laughing. “Ah, Pretoria… you never disappoint.” Halfway to the office, the heavens opened. Not soft rain— a storm . Sheets of water hammered the road, street gutters overflowed instantly, and distant thunder rolled like a grumpy giant waking up too early. People scattered, hiding under bus shelters already too full.  “Ten minutes ago...
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Major strike planned for South Africa next week

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 16 February 2021

The South African Federation of Trade Unions (Saftu) says that will embark on strike action around the country next week in response to  number of economic problems facing the country.

Saftu is the second largest of the country’s main trade union confederations, with 21 affiliated trade unions organising 800,000 workers.

The trade federation said that it has given notice to Nedlac to embark on a strike on 24 February 2021 – the same day as finance minister Tito Mboweni’s budget speech.

Most of the strike action will focus on a mass stay-away of workers, it said in a media briefing on Tuesday.

The trade federation said that it also plans to hold protest marches in major cities around the country on the same day, including at the home of the National Assembly in Cape Town.

“Even before Covid-19, we faced an economic pandemic of soaring unemployment, grinding poverty and extreme inequality,” it said.

“South African capitalism restored its once-high profit rate through ANC’s policies of austerity, privatisation, relaxed exchange controls, export-led growth at all costs and environmental destruction. The system was, meanwhile, incapable of meeting even the most basic needs of its people.”

The trade  federation has published dozens of grievances which primarily centre on a few key points:

  • The construction of a new economy – including a minimum wage of R12,500 a month for all workers, and a moratorium on all job losses;
  • The improvement of living conditions and the redistribution of land;
  • The cutting of greenhouse gas emissions;
  • Raising the social wage and providing public healthcare finance;
  • Free, decolonised and high-quality public education;
  • An end to corruption and crime;
  • A non-racial, non-sexist, democratic, socialist society.

This will be the first major national strike action undertaken by unions since the country relaxed level 3 Covid-19 lockdown rules.

However, analysts have warned that action will likely become more frequent in 2021 in response to government wage negotiations and upcoming elections.

In a January research note, BNP Paribas said that the government’s public sector wage deal is likely to remain a major point of contention in 2021, and could lead to further strike action.

“We see a good chance of widespread strike action as early as February, possibly tempered by Covid-19 restrictions and existing high levels of unemployment,” it said.

The deal could also impact the tripartite alliance between the ANC, Cosatu and the South African Communist Party.

BNP Paribas said that trade federation Cosatu has lost a large number of members in recent years, however, it said that the wage deal is likely to dominate the agenda.

Read: Rich South Africans could be hit with higher taxes next week

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