COSATU's response to the Democratic Alliance's march
The Congress of South African Trade Unions congratulates and thanks its members who rallied in their hundreds to COSATU House in response to the Democratic Alliance's planned march to the workers' citadel.
In the event the DA did not even reach their destination and beat an ignominious retreat when confronted by the massed ranks of the workers.
Regrettably there was some confusion amongst the demonstrators as to precisely where the DA's memorandum would be handed over to those who had been nominated to receive it. This led to a confrontation in the streets of Braamfontein, during which there were a few incidents of stone-throwing by individuals, which led to a number of injuries by people on both sides of the confrontation. We wish them all a full recovery.
COSATU, as it always does, condemns these acts of violence unreservedly, but stresses that the vast majority of its members conducted themselves with exemplary discipline and restraint, despite the provocative nature of the demands being made by the DA. We recognise the DA's right to demonstrate, but insist that COSATU members have an equal right to counter-demonstrate.
As the federation explains in its counter-memorandum (see below), workers are totally opposed to all the policies of the DA, which reflect the class interests of its backers in big business. These include its support for labour brokers, privatisation and export-processing zones.