Fears of more CT violence

2006-05-17 22:38

Staff reporters and Sapa

Cape Town - Thousands of Cosatu members might still converge on the city centre on Thursday, despite the trade union federation calling off a planned march.

Cape Town city council - spooked by protest violence earlier in the week - on Wednesday withdrew its permission for the march.

Mayor Helen Zille said there were no guarantees that the march - part of a countrywide protest against job losses - wouldn't be hijacked by the very people who were responsible for Tuesday's violence.

Shops were looted and cars smashed and police used rubber bullets, teargas and stun grenades to disperse rampaging protesters who were said to be disgruntled security workers.

A council statement said the SA Transport and Allied Workers Union (Satawu) had been given the go-ahead only after Cosatu vouched for it.

Concerned about Cosatu members' safety

Cosatu also undertook to make sure that the march went off in an orderly fashion.

Secretary-general Zwelinzima Vavi said the Congress of SA Trade Unions (Cosatu) would respect the council ban.

He added, however, that this was not because Cosatu had been cowered into it, but because of concern for the safety of its members.

"It is obvious that many policemen haven't been able to break away from the "skop, skiet en donder" mentality of the past.

Earlier, Cosatu had hinted that Tuesday's chaos could be blamed on "police provocation".

Tony Ehrenreich, Cosatu's Western Cape secretary who was among those arrested during the violent Satawu protests, asked all members to down tools and attend a mass meeting on Thursday.

He said the meeting would be held either at the Good Hope Centre or the city hall.

Zille discussed the matter with Ehrenreich on Wednesday evening and Cosatu provincial chair Jan Kotze said talks would resume at 07:30 on Thursday.

Cabinet condmns rampage

"We hope to get final permission for the mass meeting to be held and perhaps even the OK for our march to go ahead."

The cabinet condemned Tuesday's rampage through the Cape Town CBD.

Government spokesperson Joel Netshitenze said: "We cannot allow a situation, however genuine the grievances might be, in which people break the law and destroy property," said.

The ANC's Rebecca Kasienyane added: "It has left a sour taste in our mouths."

- Die Burger