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The Federation of Unions of South Africa (FEDUSA) has strongly condemned the blockading of freeways in Gauteng and reported incidents of violence that marred the taxi industry march on Wednesday to protest against the non-implementation of a COVID-19 Relief Scheme by government. 

Gratuitous incidents of violence included the hijacking of a female metrobus driver in Pretoria; an unacceptable act of Gender Based Violence just one week away from the launch of the National Campaign of 16 Days of No Violence Against Women and Children.

Gender Based Violence or GBV has become a 2nd pandemic in South Africa that targets a section of the population that is at the forefront of the fight against the corona virus pandemic currently devastating our country and the globe; and hijacking a woman only perpetuates its terrible status as a scourge cutting short the lives of the most vulnerable in South African society .

That it was mainly taxi associations affiliated to the National Taxi Alliance that participated in the march and not members of SANTACO highlights the disunity that persists in the industry which only serve to undermine efforts aimed at finding solutions to the many problems it faces.

Overall the march and the gratuitous violence and blockading of freeways in Gauteng by the protesters - an undertaking that had been pledged would not happen  - was highly disruptive of economic activity and severely militates against basic workers’ rights that are being fought especially statutory minimum wages, medical aid schemes and regulated working hours for industry workers.

These acts of violence and threats of violence against defenceless workers are also derailing efforts to realize the economy recovery plan that was recently announced by President Cyril Ramaphosa following the unprecedented havoc wrecked by the COVID-19 pandemic. 

Issued by FEDUSA