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• Man saves driver's life from protesters

The nation is surely holding its breath, hoping that a tragic repeat of the Marikana violence - that has claimed more than 40 lives, scores of injuries and spawned a high-level commission of inquiry - is not on the cards.

While the jury is out as to whether the attackers were union members - with the leaders vehemently absolving their members - it is disturbing to see the lives of ordinary citizens and unaffected workers being adversely affected.

While empathy is with the 20000 reportedly underpaid truck and freight drivers in the second week of their strike, the violence that seems to be tagging along is disconcerting.

What is worse is the potentially severe threat to the economy as the strike has started putting pressure on fuel, medical and food supplies. This is likely lead to panic buying by rattled consumers, despite assurances by suppliers.

Averting a potential disaster requires cool, mature heads in the impasse in which workers are demanding a 12% pay hike, and the employers - represented by the Road Freight Employers Association- offering 6%.

The workers - represented by the Transport and Allied Workers Union, the Motor Transport Workers Union, the Professional Transport and Allied Workers Union of SA, and the SA Transport and Allied Workers Union - are seemingly being led astray by faceless warmongers, if the standard denial by leaders of the involvement of union members is to be believed.

While Finance Minister Pravin Gordhan was on record at the weekend warning warring ANC factions to be mindful of tainting the country's image in the eyes of the world, the same cautioning should be directed at the violent fringe among the protesters.

Already, analysts are predicting SA's credit rating downgrade by global rating agencies Moody's, Standard & Poor's and Fitch over policy uncertainty ahead of the ANC elective conference in December.

All the parties involved in the wage negotiations should start putting the nation first and giving priority to the lives, food, shelter, safety and security of all South Africans.

At such a fraught period in the country's social, political and economic history, it is the right thing to do.

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Sun May 26 00:57:47 SAST 2013 ::

Oct 2, 2012

cornelius

Unfortunately we will have to start facing the stark reality that SA has become an uncivilsed country where all issues are settled by violence. We have become Fourth World, never mind Third World. Until unions take responsibility, and control their members, this is how things will be.
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Oct 2, 2012

cornelius

Actually, the solution to restoring order is quite simple - there should be a law that the unions under which a strike/protest takes place are responsible for all damage causes or lives lost, unless they can prove that it was not caused by their members or persons associated with them - then you will see very quickly how they marshall their protest actions properly.
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Oct 3, 2012

Tsope'

There is comrades and Rats (Amagudane). The Rats must go!
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Oct 3, 2012

Tsope'

There are comrades and Rats (Amagudane). The Rats must go!

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Oct 3, 2012

David-

Tsope what about owner drivers or people who have been attacked while driving company trucks (Our company driver was stoned while collecting material from a supplier)

These people carrying out the attacks are crimminal scum, I think I will ride with my driver and carry some petrol bombs. lets see how they like it
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Oct 3, 2012

FarCeSpotter

I feel sorry for all consumers in this country.

All costs are going through the roof - petrol, electricity, food, tax, tolls, etc. etc. So it just become tougher and tougher to live.

BUT - that still does not justify violence. Unions must pay for all damages and compensate those who suffered injury and even murder of family members at the hands of these strikers! Guilty unionists must be charged and dealt with.
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