In another fresh report, some thousands of public workers in South Africa downed their tools on Thursday in solidarity to a nationwide strike which had been announced over some of their wages after talks with the South African government had hit a deadlock, threatening to affect essential services.
The work stoppage had also been led by one of South Africa’s largest labour unions, the Public Servants Association (PSA), which has more than 235,000 members.
Read Also: 5 Nigerians Apprehended Over Drug Dealing In South Africa
The wage stalemate between the government and its employees had hit an escalating after the Labour Minister, Thulas Nxesi had last week declared he would unilaterally implement a three percent increase across the board and the Unions wanted a 6.5 percent hike.
Union members including nurses, immigration workers and some police officers picketed outside the Treasury office in Pretoria waving black placards reading “public servants are bleeding”.
The PSA had warned on Wednesday that the strike would “have a serious impact” on the home affairs, transport and border control departments.
It said the minister’s “irresponsible action has further damaged the already fragile relations and severe trust deficit” between the government and unions.
In another report, South Africa’s ex-president Jacob Zuma who is being tried for corruption on Saturday slammed judges, stressing that the sentence was excessive.
Africa Today News, New York reports that Zuma who recently ended a 15-month jail term for contempt of court was released a fortnight ago.
Speaking to a news conference on Saturday, he said; ‘Having reached the end of my unlawful incarceration, …I decided that the circumstances of my conviction and direct imprisonment should give us a chance to reflect’.
‘This conviction is unlawful,’ he added during the media round which was his first media conference since ending the sentence on October 7.
Recall that Zuma was jailed in July last year after refusing to testify before a graft inquiry, but was released on medical parole two months later.