Second day of marches in Durban as Cosatu threatens the mother of all protests

The fight against corruption and state capture is to spill onto the streets as the Congress of South African Trade Unions (Cosatu) embarks on a national strike on Wednesday.

The KwaZulu-Natal chapter of the congress said that they had mobilised workers from across the province and were ready to flood the Durban city centre.

The march is expected to move from Berea to the Durban City Hall - and is the second in as many days.

On Tuesday members of the Communications Workers Union marched through the city in protest over a South African Post Office salary dispute.

Hundreds of workers carrying placards demanding a “living wage” congregated at Durban City Hall to hand over a memorandum of their demands.

On the national shutdown‚ Cosatu KZN spokesman Edwin Mkhize said that all workers were encouraged to participate and that no employee would be disciplined for downing tools. “We continue to demand the scrapping of labour brokers because they have the ability to minimise job consistency and workers work overtime with no pay‚” he said.

On state capture‚ Mkhize said that if the notion persists it could result in a job purge.

“We are of the view that if state capture becomes a norm‚ companies will continue to retrench workers because banks have now colluded to disown anything that is associated with the Guptas‚ and individual capturing of State Owned Entities is increasing and is a real threat to the principle of collective economy.

“Workers are more worried by the siphoning of funds from the public purse‚ in the expense of the many poor people and workers who contribute to the economic purse‚” Mkhize added.

The march will commence at Kind Dinizulu Park (Old Botha Park)‚ proceed though Dr. Prixely Ka Seme Street (Old West Street) to Durban City Hall where the memorandum will be handed to the Premier of the Province‚ then to the Durban Chamber of Commerce and The Department of Labour.