Cape Town - With the highly anticipated and contentious State of the Nation Address (Sona) taking place this evening, the South African Federation of Trade Unions (Saftu) plans to protest and call for a basic income grant of R1 500.
Saftu national spokesperson Trevor Shaku confirmed that Saftu members would be protesting. The federation has a membership of around 700 000.
“We call on President Cyril Ramaphosa to make the Sona to be anything other than mere ritualistic repetition of empty promises and attempting to lull the masses whilst renewing the neo-liberal commitments,” Shaku said.
“President Ramaphosa must listen to the cries and look at the plight of our people, not a group of privileged neo-liberal economists.”
Further demands include job creation.
“It is for this reason that we call on the president to create a jobs guarantee programme that will give people jobs as they are displaced by the economy.”
Saftu called for the transport system, in particular the railway system, to be fixed for safer and cheaper public commutes as well as “decisive and fitting punishments” against corruption in the public and private sectors.
“The state capture reports have illustrated how corruption has cost the efficient running of the state-owned enterprises, and if the government does not strengthen the judiciary to seek retributive justice against these offenders, there is less hope for better development of our society.
“The victims of public sector corruption are in the final analysis the ordinary working people who rely on public goods and services for health care, education, policing, etc.,” Shaku said.
Meanwhile, the City has advised that a number of temporary road closures, mostly in the Cape Town CBD, will be implemented for the Sona at City Hall.
The opening of Parliament will take place today at 7pm, with rehearsals having taken place since Sunday 6, from 6pm. The Sona debate will take place from Monday, February 14, to Wednesday, February 16.
There will be kerbside security fencing around the perimeter of City Hall until Wednesday, February 17.