Unions, civil society groups, student bodies march in Cape Town ahead of Budget Speech

CAPE TOWN - Several trade union federations, civil society organisations and university student bodies are marching in the Cape Town CBD on Wednesday ahead of Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana's national budget.

The finance minister is expected to table the budget in the National Assembly on Wednesday afternoon.

It’s the first national budget under the Government of National Unity (GNU).

A large group of demonstrators from trade union federations and civil society organisations such as SAFTU, COSATU, and the Communist Party gathered at Hanover Street in the city centre to call for the scrapping of budget cuts.

There’s also a heavy police presence deployed to the area to monitor the demonstration, ahead of Godongwana's budget speech at 2pm on Wednesday afternoon.

Some of the demands voiced by the demonstrators also include the implementation of a universal basic income grant, the full funding of public services, provision of decent service delivery, and addressing the unemployment crisis.

COSATU Western Cape chairperson, Motlasi Tsubane: "The particular issue that we are here for today is to come and express ourselves and to demand that the minister of finance to rearrange and deprioritise departments like education, defence force, health, and justice. They must forget about austerity measures that they have put in place."

The demonstrators have also rejected the idea of a tax increase, following talks that top African National Congress (ANC) officials are in support of a proposal by Godongwana to hike taxes.

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