Pretoria motorists have been urged to find alternative routes on Friday, 20 January due to a planned march to the Union Buildings.
Not In My Name International will be marching to the Union Building in protest against the long hours of load shedding and the 18.65% tariff hike granted to Eskom by the National Energy Regulator of South Africa (NERSA).
According to the Tshwane metro police, the march will start at 08:30 at Church Square, Pretoria Central.
Tshwane Metro Police Department spokesperson Isaac Mahamba said marchers will then make their way down Paul Kruger Street and turn right onto Madiba Street and proceed straight until they reach the NERSA offices at 526 Madiba Street and then will head to the Union Buildings in Arcadia.
The following streets will be affected:
- Paul Kruger Street
- Madiba Street
- Thabo Sehume Street
- Lillian Ngoyi Street
- Sisulu Street
- Du Toit Street
- Nelson Mandela Drive
- Steve Biko Road
- Hamilton Street
- Government Avenue
The marchers are expected to disperse from NERSA at 11:00 and from the Union Buildings at 12:30.
Mahamba said Tshwane metro police officers will be deployed to monitor the march and all the affected streets.
Motorists have been advised to avoid the affected roads and use the following alternative routes:
- Nana Sita Street
- Francis Baard Street
- Park Street
- Stanza Bopape Street
- Struben Street
- Edmond Street
The march comes as growing calls for a national shutdown continue to intensify, with the General Industries Workers Union of South Africa (Giwusa) urging different unions to join hands in the fight against load shedding and Eskom 18.65%electricity tariff increase.
Giwusa president Mametlwe Sebei called on the SA Federation of Trade Union (SAFTU, Cosatu, Federation of Unions SA, National Council of Trade Unionsand all independent trade unions to embark on a crusade against Eskom’s rolling blackouts.
Source: Rekord, IOL, The South African, image from Twitter: @NotInMyNameINT