29 November 2012

The National Union of Metalworkers of South Africa (Numsa) fully supports the two major marches that will be taking place tomorrow Friday 30 November 2012, in Johannesburg and Tshwane, as organised by our militant and fighting federation – the Congress of South African Trade Unions (COSATU) calling for and exerting pressure on ANC-led government to scrap the implementation of e-tolls on Gauteng Highways.

Our support for these marches is informed by our principled opposition to the commodification of our national assets, particularly our public roads.

Furthermore, our support for these marches is also guided by the call made by the people of South Africa, 57 years ago, during the authentic and genuine Congress of the People held in Kliptown, which aptly resolved “All shall be free to travel without restriction from countryside to town, from province to province, and from South Africa abroad”.

It is our view that the commodification of our public roads, through the ill-conceived introduction of the e-tolls is going to be a burden to the majority of our people, especially amongst the workers and the poor of the country.

Already we are faced with the burden of the triple crisis of poverty, unemployment and deepening inequalities, the e-tolls once implemented are going to escalate food prices, but also lead to mass retrenchments in major industries as a result of the high cost of transporting goods and services in our public roads.

As Numsa we fully support this just struggle for the scrapping of e-tolls without contradicting our ideological and principled posture.

We call on the workers, the unemployed, students and motorists to swamp the streets of Johannesburg and Tshwane.

Issued by NUMSA National Office Bearers

Contact:

Irvin Jim, General Secretary – +2773 157 6384