Shafiek Tassiem and Wendell Roelf
PRETORIA/CAP TOWN (Reuters) – Hundreds of South Africans protested against inflation in Pretoria and Cape Town on Wednesday Soaring to 13 a one-year high, an operation led by trade union group COSATU, a longtime ally of the ruling African National Congress.
Labour unrest often affects industries such as mining during wage negotiations, but COSATU, South Africa’s largest union, rarely leads national protests.
Union officials said more protesters are expected to join the march over time, but it is unclear whether they will be in 10 Multiple major cities call for nationwide shutdown
Ministry of Human Services and Administration said in a notice to government departments that state employees participating in COSATU-led protests backed by other federal unions will not be
Protesters holding placards that read “Stop taxing essential food” as they walk through downtown Pretoria to the Union Building, where President Cyril Ramafo is located Sarah’s office. In Cape Town, they marched towards Parliament.
There are complaints that frequent power outages by state power utility Eskom are hurting businesses.
“At the moment I can’t cope because I’m struggling with no job and my age,” said Helen Ponte 65, a former hotel receptionist who is One of the protesters in Pretoria.
South Africa’s headline consumer inflation rose to an annual rate of 7.8% in July, the highest level since 2009.
Last month, despite four previous rate hikes, the central bank implemented the largest rate hike in 20 years in an attempt to rein in inflation.
Fuel prices increased in June 45.3% since the agency in 2009 the largest annual increase since the CPI series began.
COSATU had previously led a nationwide protest in October 2020 to criticize the government’s response to COVID-19 19 response to the pandemic, which jobs were lost during the lockdown.
