protest – Pretoria.ws

Tshwane Total Shutdown: Protest movement hits Pretoria

The Tshwane Total Shutdown protest movement gripped Pretoria on Thursday morning, resulting in major traffic disruptions and an increased police presence. Total Shutdown action – first witnessed in the Western Cape and more recently in Alexandra, Johannesburg – is a protest movement designed to disrupt daily routine in an attempt to bring attention to a wide array of socioeconomic issues. The protests usually involve the barricading of major roadways and mass marches. Disruption in Tshwane erupted in the early hours of Thursday morning, following anonymous threats and flyer-drops earlier in the week. The African National Congress (ANC), which openly supported the protests in Alexandra, have distanced themselves from the Tshwane Total Shutdown. ANC regional chairperson, Dr Kgosi Maepa, said: “I’ve heard people are going to organise a shutdown. We are not against it because there is no service delivery in Hammanskraal.” The exact cause of the discontent in Tshwane is,…

EFF warns Rosslyn companies during protest: Police won’t be able to protect you – demand a basic minimum wage of R12 500

Thousands of EFF members, some who work in the area, marched on Thursday to demand a basic minimum wage of R12 500 and worker ownership and control to the South African Breweries, PRAGA Technical, BMW, Nissan, Afrit Trailers and Coca-Cola. Tshwane Secretary Nqobile Mhlongo told BMW that workers will close down the area if their demands are not met. “There is no political or police force which will protect companies in Rosslyn area from thousands of workers. Companies must not wait until there is no time and there is social instability which will collapse business in the area until they extend ownership of companies to workers. The sooner we realise economic freedom for workers, the better for Rosslyn to grow economically.” The party’s deputy chairperson Leofi Leshabane said workers have complained to Nissan about being on night shift for several years without any rotation but nothing has been done. There are also complaints of racism at Afrit Trailers and Praga Tech…

Onwettige grondbesetting op R21 veroorsaak chaos

Onwettige grondbesetters het weereens chaos veroorsaak. Hierdie keer op die R21 naby Olifantsfontein. Die hoofweg is deur protesteerders geblokkeer vir verkeer, ‘n vragmotor is aan die brand gesteek en motoriste is met klippe bestook. ‘n Onbekende persoon is dood tydens die optrede maar die oorsaak van sy dood kon nie vasgestel word nie. Verkeer vanaf die lughawe na Pretoria is ontwrig deur rommel wat op die pad gestort is en die pad is laat Sondagmiddag vir verkeer oopgestel nadat polisie die rommel verwyder het. Deur: Die Vryburger

Pretoria man robbed while ‘police stood idly by’

The policemen did not help because the crime was not part of their division. A businessman has accused the police of standing idly by while he was being robbed in the north of Pretoria, Pretoria North Rekord reports. Louis Eloff said this happened during a protest. He sells and distributes paint across Pretoria. Eloff said he was on his way to make a delivery in Hammanskraal when he ran in to a group of protesters along Soutpan Road in Soshanguve. “About 100 people ran towards my van and stopped it. They took all the buckets of paint on the trailer and got away.” Eloff said the stock was worth more than R25 000. “Two policemen stood there and watched. When I approached them to ask for help, they said it was not their division.” He said he did not lay charges because this would be a waste of time. “Why would I do that when I know that there are thousands of murders, rapes and armed robberies on their books that will never be solved?” Soshanguve police …

City of Tshwane: Workers who protested outside the Gauteng High Court are misinformed

THE workers who protested outside the Gauteng High Court, Pretoria, over what they perceived to be a delayed justice in their case with the City, were misinformed, municipal spokesperson Lindela Mashigo said. The out-of-work staff and subcontractors were bused in to the court to demand a speedy verdict. The court case concerns the validity of a tender between their employer, Moipone Group of Companies, and the City. The high court heard the case on September 21, but a verdict is still pending. The workers said they supported their employer, who took the City to the high court for refusing to pay for services rendered under a “valid and binding” contract. To showcase their frustrations, they marched from Marabastad to the high court, where they delivered a memorandum to acting court manager Lucky Makumule. The protesters said the City lacked the will to honour its contractual obligations and that had put them out of work since June. They were hoping for a favou…

10111 call centre workers demand salary increase

Employees of the 10111 emergency call centre are slowly starting to gather at the Pretoria Art Museum ahead of their march to the Union Buildings. The march is expected to commence at 12pm where they will hand over a memorandum outlining their demands. The workers are demanding salary upgrades to be at the same level as other call centre workers at the department of home affairs, SA Social Security Agency, SA Revenue Services (Sars) and the presidential hotline, among others. The salary upgrades were recommended in 2013 by a task team set up by former police commissioner Riah Phiyega. About 500 employees are expected to take part in the march which will be led by South African Police Union (SAPU) deputy president Tumelo Mogodiseng. The strike has been on since 18 July this year. Pretoria News

Pretoria communities gather to protest against higher rates

Pretoria - About 10 buses packed with protesters from Mabopane, Winterveld, Klipgat and Ga-Rankuwa have descended on the Old Putco Depot in Marabastad on Monday morning. The 500 plus protesters are gearing up to march to Tshwane House to hand over a memorandum to executive mayor Solly Msimanga. They are singing and chanting while waiting for more protesters to join the march. Tshwane Metro Police and the SAPS are keeping a close eye on the protesters. Spokesperson for the Baagi Concerned Forum David Ratladi Baagi said that the communities of Ga-Rankuwa, Mabopane, Winterveld and Klipgat pay a reduced rate for services to Tshwane and the Soshanguve community pays a higher rate. But now the City of Tshwane intends raising the communities rates to equal that of Shoshanguve. " We as the community of Mabopane, Winterveld and Klipgat were not consulted," he said. Tshwane Metro Police spokesperson Senior Superintendent Isaac Mahamba said affected streets will include Eskia …

Protesting Pretoria West residents clash with cops – still unclear what the protest was about

Pretoria – Close to a thousand protesting residents of Gomora informal settlement in Pretoria West have battled with police since the early hours of July 13, 2017 on Thursday morning. Police fired hails of rubber bullets, dozens of tear gas canisters, and stun grenades in a bid to keep the hostile protesters at bay. Protesters returned fire with slingshots and threw stones at police Nyalas and members of the Public Order Policing on the ground. They also chased after journalists, pelting them with stones. It was still unclear what the protest was about, but they called for Co-operative Governance and Traditional Affairs MEC Paul Mashatile to address their issues. "We are going to kill you guys," a protester shouted. Several roads were blocked with burning tyres and stones. A police contact said that more than 1 000 protesters had caused "complete chaos" since the early hours of Thursday morning. 'We are fed up' Residents from Gomora have demanded that Mash…