‘We’re not barbarians, but we’ll be militant,’ says Vavi on Monday’s national shutdown

Zwelinzima Vavi, the general secretary of the South African Federation of Trade Unions (Saftu), has dismissed any suggestion that Monday’s planned national shutdown will be characterised by violence and intimidation.

National shutdown

Vavi has slammed government as well as other political parties and organisations for spreading public panic about the national shutdown.

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He said President Cyril Ramaphosa‘s administration has every reason to panic over Monday’s demonstrations because South Africans are finally taking a stand against the country’s many socioeconomic challenges.

“The press conference from yesterday [Thursday] by ministers [in the security cluster] and the statement from the president, is panic on their side. And they have a reason to panic because the lid is going to be taken off the pot from Monday going forward.

“We are not going to do a once-off demonstration and they go back to peace and business as normal.

“No, this is one of many shots we have been firing, and we are going to be firing endless shots until load shedding is addressed, until the crisis of youth unemployment [and] women unemployment is addressed – but we insist on peaceful demonstrations,” he said.

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Vavi made the remarks on Friday during Saftu‘s media briefing in Johannesburg on preparations for the national shutdown.

The trade union federation will be joining the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF), and other organisations, in protest action against load shedding, the country’s high crime levels, and the resignation of Ramaphosa from office, among other issues.

Peaceful demonstrations

Vavi said that their nationwide demonstrations will be peaceful without any form of violence and intimidation.

“Our protest action is going to be peaceful, we want to emphasise this,” he said.

“We are not the products of violence. We do not advance violent agendas against society. We are not products of any kind of intimidation of robbing other people of their right to exercise [their freedom] accruing from the constitution of South Africa.”

Vavi added that Saftu members should isolate any “agent provocateurs” that get involved in violence.

‘Government propaganda’

The Saftu general secretary said Thursday’s media briefing by Cabinet ministers of the Justice, Crime Prevention and Security (JCPS), on security measures ahead of Monday’s demonstrations, was propaganda to terrify the public.

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This comes amid concerns over the repeat of the deadly 2021 July civil unrest that resulted in the destruction of public and private property as well as the looting of stores and shopping centres.

“This attempt to associate us with what happened in July 2021, is part of the propaganda by the other side to terrify the country and make us [seem] like we are some barbarians who do not understand the basic tenets of the constitution of South Africa.

“We’re not barbarians, but we are going to be militant. And we are not sweethearts. We are going to be militant on Monday even as we demonstrate in all of the assembly points,” said Vavi.

“There will be a shutdown. There will be no one point that people must go to in the country. A shutdown is a shutdown. It will happen across every township, village, factory, or mine.”

‘Workers won’t be victimised’

Vavi further called on all workers to join the national shutdown, saying the protest is protected by law.

“The protect action on Monday is totally protected unless you are a worker determined through an agreement to work in essential services.

“Evey worker participating on Monday will not be victimised or subjected to a disciplinary hearing or face dismissal.”

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