Big turnout predicted at corruption marches

29 September 2015 - 02:24 By Zine George

Protesters will take to the streets of Pretoria and Cape Town tomorrow in a march against corruption. National Union of Metalworkers (Numsa) general secretary Irvin Jim said yesterday that he expected the march to be a "huge success", despite the National Economic Development and Labour Council (Nedlac) granting workers the right to take part in a protected mass action only in 14 days' time, not tomorrow.He said this meant workers would have to use their discretion and rely on employers' sympathy.Jim described Nedlac's decision to allow workers to be part of a protected strike only in two weeks' time as "sabotage"."We did follow protocol but we were being sabotaged," he said.Former Cosatu general secretary Zwelinzima Vavi railed against capitalism."We shall be protesting at the squandering of the nation's wealth through corruption, fraud, tax evasion and money-laundering."Vavi said some say corruption is only a middle-class concern."They should speak to you, comrades, especially the Midrand anti-corruption strikers who will, I hope, be at the front of the Pretoria march."It is the poor and the working class who suffer most from corruption," said Vavi."It is the workers more than any other class that have the primary responsibility to stop this slide into the abyss."More than 200 civic organisations and unions, and more than 700 entertainers, have endorsed Unite Against Corruption.Personalities such as Zakes Mda, Mark Gevisser, Gcina Mhlophe and Pieter-Dirk Uys have declared their full support for the action.Organisations on board include Transparency International, Oxfam, Amnesty International, the Association of Mineworkers and Construction Union, and the SA Football Players' Union, and civic organisations such as Corruption Watch, the Treatment Action Campaign and Equal Education.The Cape Town leg of the march will start at Keizersgracht Street near District Six, and end at the parliamentary precinct. The Pretoria march starts at Burgers Park and ends at the Union buildings.Both marches will start at 11am...

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