Transnet workers set to intensify protests with motorcade on Durban streets

Transnet workers are set to take to the streets around the port of Durban on Friday as they “intensify” their strike.

That emerged on Thursday when the Cosatu-linked South African Transport and Allied Workers Union (Satawu) told workers at Bayhead it would make an application to the Durban metro police to form a motorcade from the Victoria embarkment to the parastatal on Bayhead road.

“The federation (Cosatu) will make an application to have a motorcade tomorrow [Friday] from 7am from Victoria embarkment. Since it will be a formal motorcade they will not prescribe the maximum speed we should use in these two routes, meaning from Victoria embarkment up to here we can even take five or more hours to here and all these cars will be accommodated,” said Thatho Koali, Satawu’s eThekwini chair.

He said the motorcade would target busy morning traffic.

“We will leave that area around 7am, the intention being that by 8am the traffic will be at peak in town. The moment we occupy Victoria embarkment it means the entire town will be affected (because) currently they do not feel it (the strike). By the time we enter Bayhead road it will be clear. So everyone who has a car must must be at Victoria embarkment by 7am tomorrow,” he said.

Edwin Mkhize, Cosatu’s KwaZulu-Nata secretary, told TimesLIVE they were awaiting a response from metro police’s traffic control unit.

“We do not need permission from the metro police because what we will be doing is moving from one picket point to another and it’s not possible to do so on feet. Since the distance is long we have requested the metro police to help us with traffic control,” he said.

Durban metro police spokesperson Supt Boysie Zungu said he would only be able to confirm the application on Friday as the special events office wasn’t available to respond to his query.

TimesLIVE

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