Johannesburg -
South Africa’s largest union, Numsa, has guaranteed the public that it will lead a peaceful march through Durban on Friday, despite warnings of potential violence by the eThekwini Municipality.
The union had to turn to the courts to allow its Workers Day demonstration to go ahead, after the municipality reversed a decision giving the march the green light.
Cosatu will also be holding a May Day rally in the city, and there were concerns the two groups would clash.
But the Durban High Court ruled that the march go ahead.
It did not immediately make its reasons known.
The court heard a senior SAPS superintendent had warned the municipality of an “armed confrontation”.
On this basis it was decided to cancel the Numsa march, in favour of the Cosatu event.
President Jacob Zuma and other tripartite alliance leaders will address the Cosatu rally.
Numsa leaders questioned on Thursday why the union’s event had been cancelled, when it had applied for a permit before Cosatu.
“We applaud the judge for upholding our constitutional right to assembly and agitate for our own needs and demands. Any state institution muzzled or abused to undermine our rights is a shame to our democracy,” Numsa spokesman Castro Ngobese said.
Axed Cosatu general secretary Zwelinzima Vavi, who will address the Numsa rally on Friday, also welcomed the ruling.
“… what is happening, is the abuse of political power. This is pure factional intervention by the Durban municipality.”
The municipality denied it has sided with Cosatu due to political pressure.
Pretoria News