WATCH | 'We need salary increases!' – Protester explains why she marched

Hundreds of people marched in Cape Town as part of the national shutdown against the rising cost of living and other issues affecting workers.

Raeesah Achmat, receptionist at Red Cross hospital, said she was protesting because the cost of living has become too high.

“I can't take my children out to a restaurant. I cut out fast food to try to save the money that I would have used to entertain my children. And still my salary does not last us until the end of the month.”

Achmat says she would like a 5% increase.

‘’We have not received an increase for the past three years. The government is falling back on the agreement and now wants to offer us a 2% [increase]. If you work it out, and depending on what level you are on, you will get an extra R390 which still needs to be taxed.”

She was also marching to highlight gender-based violence.

“Men are not appreciative or they are not protecting women and neither is the government. I will sacrifice this day to protest if it makes a difference. We cannot guarantee that it will make a difference, but we hope the government will take us seriously now.”

Cosatu said: “The national strike is in response to the ongoing load-shedding, fuel price hikes and escalating food prices. This socioeconomic strike also represents a pushback and a response by the workers to the ongoing class warfare directed at them by both public and private sector employers.”

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