- Title: SOUTH AFRICA: Commuters stranded as national strike gets underway
- Date: 6th August 2008
- Summary: (SOUNDBITE) (English) UNIDENTIFIED SOUTH AFRICA WOMAN SAYING: "It has affected me a lot, 'cause I have to be at work, my bosses want me there, so I am stuck here." (SOUNDBITE) (English) SOUTH AFRICAN RESIDENT, NICOLE, SAYING: "It's a real inconvenience, because I need to get to campus, I have no transport to get there, 'cause I have no transport from home." (SOUNDBITE) (
- Embargoed: 21st August 2008 13:00
- Keywords:
- Location: South Africa
- Country: South Africa
- Topics: Domestic Politics
- Reuters ID: LVA1ATO5427VBGXM0O2GJVFYUTED
- Story Text: Thousands of Congress of South African trade union (Cosatu) members are expected to gather in South Africa's major cities on Wednesday (August 6) to participate in a strike against escalating electricity prices and food prices.
The major march will be in central Pretoria, where protesters will march to the Union Buildings. Police say they will monitor proceedings closely.
The strike has halted almost all taxi operations and many bus services around the country, while restaurants were forced to shut down.
"It has affected me a lot, 'cause i have to be at work, my bosses want me there, so I am stuck here," said a woman who was stranded at the Randburg taxi rank, north of Johannesburg.
"It's a really inconvenience, because I need to get to campus, I have no transport to get there, 'cause I have no transport from home"
added the student, Nicole.
Cosatu Secretary-General, Zwelinzima Vavi, has emphasised that the strike is mainly against the electricity hikes and also against high food and fuel prices in the country.
"I think all the strike is affecting all the divisions and the private sectors, and our employment also has been affected with regard to what has been taking place today, and I am just thinking that it was the right thing to do, to let the national strike to bring everything to the government's attention that they should try as much as they can that we don't higher prices of the product," said one of the commuters, Harold Mashishi.
Analysts say a complete shutdown of the economy could spook foreign investors and further dent a slowing economy, seen growing by around 3 percent this year from an average 5 percent growth over the past four years. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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